China H7N9 strain bird flu toll reaches 27
Iran Press TV
Thu May 2, 2013 11:52AM GMT
The death toll from the H7N9 strain of bird flu has climbed to 27 as a patient infected with the virus lost his life in China’s central province of Hunan, health officials said.
The 55-year-old man, whose surname was given as Jiao, died on Wednesday after medical treatment failed to save him, Xinhua reported on Thursday.
A visiting team from the World Health Organization (WHO), which wrapped up a week-long visit to China on April 24, has said there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, but warned H7N9 is "one of the most lethal" influenza viruses seen so far.
More than 120 people in China have been infected by the H7N9 avian influenza, with 27 deaths. China officially confirmed the occurrence of human infection with the new bird flu virus on March 31.
The H7N9 bird flu virus is distinct from the H5N1 virus. Since 2003, the H5N1 strain has caused more than 360 confirmed human deaths and tens of millions of birds have died from the virus.
Medical experts worry about the possibility of the H7N9 virus mutating into a form easily transmissible between humans.
Chinese health authorities have confirmed the so-called "family clusters", where members of a single family have contracted the virus.
MP/JR
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