Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
In a report released yesterday, January 9, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that seven additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus were reported by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).
Those cases followed a report on Jan 7, also from the WHO, of another laboratory-confirmed case of human infection from H7N9, reported by Taipei Centers for Disease Control. That case, which was initially reported to the WHO on Dec 31, 2013, was in an 86-year-old man from Jiangsu, China who traveled to Taiwan with a tourist group from Dec 17-24.
The man felt uncomfortable on Dec 19, but was not admitted until Dec 24 after being diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. As of Jan 7, the man is currently intubated and supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The other members of the group returned home with no symptoms; the man’s two daughters remained in Taiwan but have also shown no symptoms.
The NHFPC notified the WHO of the first of its seven cases on Jan 4, with an 86-year-old man from Shanghai City becoming ill on Dec 26, and being admitted on Dec 30. As of Jan 9, this man is in critical condition. He has a history of exposure to live poultry.
On Jan 5, the NHFPC notified the WHO of a 34-year-old woman from Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province who became ill on Dec 29,and was admitted to hospital on Jan 2 and is in critical condition.
Two cases were reported to the WHO on Jan 6.
The first was of a 47-year-old man from Foshan City, Guangdong Province who became ill on Dec 25, and was admitted to hospital on Jan 3. He is in critical condition and has a history of exposure to live poultry.
The second case was of a 71-year-old man from Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province who became ill on Jan 1 and was admitted to the hospital on Jan 4. He is in critical condition.
China’s NHFPC notified the WHO of three H7N9 cases on Jan 8.
The first is a 54-year-old woman from Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province who became ill on Dec 20 and admitted to hospital on Dec 27. She is currently in critical condition and has a history of exposure to live poultry.
The second is a 31-year-old man from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province who became ill on Dec 30, and was admitted to the hospital on Jan 3. This patient is in stable condition.
The third is a 51-year-old woman from Foshan City, Guangdong Province who became ill on Dec 31, and was admitted to hospital on Jan 3. She is currently in critical condition and has a history of exposure to live poultry.
The sources of infection in these patients are still under investigation.
According to University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Chinese health officials reported another infection with H7N9 in a 51-year-old woman from Zhejiang Province on Jan 9.
The woman is in serious condition at a hospital in Hangzhou, according to a statement made by Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP). There are no other details provided about the source of infection or any contacts she had, according to CIDRAP’s Lisa Schnirring.
The new cases raise the number of infections from H7N9 to 157. Zhejiang Province has had the most cases of any Chinese province, with 53 cases. There have been 49 deaths attributed to H7N9 since the first cases were reported in March 2013.
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