China H7N9 bird flu death toll hits 13
Iran Press TV
Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:2PM GMT
The death toll from the H7N9 strain of bird flu has climbed to at least 13 as two other patients infected with the virus lost their lives in China.
Chinese authorities said on Sunday, the two victims including a 67-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man died in a hospital in China's most populated city of Shanghai on Saturday night and Sunday morning, respectively.
To date, a total of 60 people in China have been infected with the H7N9 avian influenza.
China officially confirmed the occurrence of human infection with the new bird flu virus some two weeks ago and a research project was formally launched on April 10 to develop a vaccine for the H7N9.
The project, jointly undertaken by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, aims to produce a vaccine for the virus within the next seven months.
This comes while the World Health Organization says there is no evidence that the H7N9 virus can spread among human beings.
The Geneva-based world body has also announced plans to send a team of international experts to China to investigate the new bird flu virus.
H7N9 is distinct from the H5N1 virus, which since 2003 has caused more than 360 confirmed human deaths and killed about tens of millions of birds.
MAM/PR
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