Follow us on:   

WHO: No H7N9 human-to-human transmission
April 23, 2013, 9:12 am

[Xinhua]

Twenty one people have died as a result of the virus so far [Xinhua]

There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 virus despite small clusters of cases, World Health Organisation (WHO) officials said on Monday after a two-day visit to Shanghai.

China has confirmed 105 infections and 21 deaths by Monday.

East China’s Shandong province reported its first case on Monday, and two new cases were also reported in eastern Zhejiang province, according to provincial disease control departments.

“Whenever we find a virus in animals, people become worried about whether it can be transmitted to humans. That’s why domestic and international experts now pay great attention to the new strain of H7N9 bird flu,” Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general for health security and environment of the WHO, said at a news conference.

“But right now, we do not have evidence that the flu has sustained human-to-human transmission,” he said.

Fukuda led a joint team of experts from the WHO and Chinese health authorities to Shanghai, where the flu was first reported.

Xinhua