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H7N9 is a serotype of the species Influenzavirus A (avian influenza virus or bird flu virus). H7 normally circulates amongst avian populations with some variants known to occasionally infect humans. An H7N9 virus was first reported to have infected humans in 2013 in China.

Most of the reported cases of human infection have resulted in severe respiratory illness. Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director-general for health, security and the environment, identified H7N9 as “…an unusually dangerous virus for humans.” As of April 17, the mortality is 21%, but since many patients with confirmed infection remain critically ill, the rate may increase.

Influenza A virus subtype H7N9
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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CNN

Hong Kong on high alert after first human case of H7N9 bird flu

Chickens roost at a Chinese poultry farm in April this year

Hong Kong (CNN) — Hong Kong is on high alert after an Indonesian domestic helper contracted the city’s first human case of H7N9 avian flu, the city’s government says.

The 36-year-old maid is in hospital in a critical condition, Ko Wing-man, Hong Kong’s secretary for food and health said in a statement.

The woman had recently traveled to Shenzhen, the mainland Chinese city nearest to Hong Kong, where she bought, slaughtered and ate a chicken, Ko added. Her close contacts have also been isolated in hospital.

Ko said that Hong Kong had raised its level of preparedness for an influenza pandemic to “serious.”

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/03/world/asia/hong-kong-h7n9-case/

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Saturday, 27 April 2013

H7N9

The H7N9 strain has infected 109 people in China since it was first detected last month. The World Health Organisation warned on Wednesday that this strain is “one of the most lethal” flu viruses and is transmitted more easily than the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed hundreds around the world since 2003.

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Sundaily

Imports of frozen chicken from China temporarily suspended

PUTRAJAYA (April 26, 2013): All import applications of frozen, de-boned chicken meat from China have been temporarily suspended beginning April 23 following the outbreak of a new strain of avian flu H7N9 there.

The Department of Veterinary Services’ (DVS) director general Datuk Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin said only containers that are on the way from China are allowed to enter after stringent tests have been carried out.

He said instructions have been issued by the DVS to the Malaysian Quarantine Inspection Services (MAQIS) to hold all containers carrying poultry products from Shandong province in China for checks.

“We will use the `hold, test and release’ method to check the contents of the container. Random samples will be taken for laboratory tests to trace the presence of the H7N9 virus using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method,” said Abd Aziz in a press conference today.

He said the suspension of the import application could cause hike in the prices of chicken, but to meet the shortages the DVS is allowing importation of chicken from Thailand where some additional plants will be audited in the near future.

Imports of frozen chicken from China temporarily suspended

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Reuters

Scientists confirm new H7N9 bird flu has come from chickens

(Reuters) – Chinese scientists have confirmed for the first time that a new strain of bird flu that has killed 23 people in China has been transmitted to humans from chickens.

In a study published online in the Lancet medical journal, the scientists echoed previous statements from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese officials that there is as yet no evidence of human-to-human transmission of this virus.

The H7N9 strain has infected 109 people in China since it was first detected in March. The WHO warned on Wednesday that this strain is “one of the most lethal” flu viruses and is transmitted more easily than the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed hundreds around the world since 2003.

Kwok-Yung Yuen of the University of Hong Kong, who led the study, said its findings that chickens in poultry markets were a source of human infections meant that controlling the disease in these places and in these birds should be a priority.

“Aggressive intervention to block further animal-to-person transmission in live poultry markets, as has previously been done in Hong Kong, should be considered,” he told the Lancet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/25/us-birdflu-chickens-idUSBRE93O0OA20130425

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Frequently Asked Questions on human infection caused by the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, China

Note that this document supersedes the previous version. Updates will be posted as new information becomes available.

1. What is the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus?

Avian influenza A H7 viruses are a group of influenza viruses that normally circulate among birds. The avian influenza A(H7N9) virus is one subgroup among the larger group of H7 viruses. Although some H7 viruses (H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7) have occasionally been found to infect humans, no human infections with H7N9 viruses have been reported until recent reports from China.

2. What are the main symptoms of human infection caused by avian influenza A(H7N9) virus?

Thus far, most patients with this infection have had severe pneumonia. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. However, information is still limited about the full spectrum of illness that infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus might cause.

4. Why is this virus infecting humans now?

We do not know the answer to this question yet, because we do not know the source of exposure for these human infections. However, analysis of the genes of these viruses suggests that although the viruses have evolved in birds, they may infect mammals more easily than other avian viruses.

5. What is known about previous human infections with H7 influenza viruses globally?

From 1996 to 2012, human infections with H7 influenza viruses (H7N2, H7N3, and H7N7) were reported in Canada, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Most of these infections occurred in association with poultry outbreaks. The infections mainly resulted in conjunctivitis and mild upper respiratory symptoms, with the exception of one death, which occurred in the Netherlands. Until this event, no human infections with H7 influenza viruses have been reported in China

8. How can infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus be prevented?

Although both the source of infection and the mode of transmission are uncertain, it is prudent to follow basic hygienic practices to prevent infection. They include hand and respiratory hygiene and food safety measures.

Hand hygiene:
• Wash your hands before, during, and after you prepare food; before you eat; after you use the toilet; after handling animals or animal waste; when your hands are dirty; and when providing care when someone in your home is sick. Hand hygiene will also prevent the transmission of infections to yourself (from touching contaminated surfaces) and in hospitals to patients, health care workers and others.
• Wash your hands with soap and running water when hands are visibly dirty; if hands are not visibly dirty, wash them with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleanser.

Respiratory hygiene:
• Cover your mouth and nose with a medical mask, tissue, or a sleeve or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing; throw the used tissue into a closed bin immediately after use; perform hand hygiene after contact with respiratory secretions.

16. Is the general population at risk from the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus?

We do not yet know enough about these infections to determine whether there is a significant risk of community person to person spread. This possibility is the subject of epidemiological investigations that are now taking place.

Frequently Asked Questions on human infection with A(H7N9)

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