China reports 2 more cases of new bird flu virus

China reports 2 more cases of new bird flu virus
In this photo taken Friday, April 5, 2013, a poultry vendor walks past his empty shop at a wholesale market in Shanghai. China announced a sixth death from a new bird flu strain Friday, while authorities in Shanghai halted the sale of live fowl and slaughtered all poultry at a market where the virus was detected in pigeons being sold for meat. (AP Photo)

Shanghai has reported two more cases of human infection of a new strain of bird flu, raising the number of cases in eastern China to 18. Six of the people who contracted the virus have died.

believe people are contracting the H7N9 virus through direct contact with infected fowl and say there's no evidence the virus is spreading easily between people.

China reports 2 more cases of new bird flu virus
In this photo taken Friday April 5, 2013, a poultry vendor sits in front of his empty shop at a wholesale market in Shanghai. China announced a sixth death from a new bird flu strain Friday, while authorities in Shanghai halted the sale of live fowl and slaughtered all poultry at a market where the virus was detected in pigeons being sold for meat. (AP Photo)

's government said Saturday the latest victims are a 74-year-old peasant and a 66-year-old retiree. The city has been ordered by the agriculture ministry to halt its live poultry trade and slaughter all fowl in markets where the virus has been found.

The capital cities of the neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu also have suspended sales of live poultry. Both provinces have reported H7N9 cases.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Citation: China reports 2 more cases of new bird flu virus (2013, April 6) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-china-cases-bird-flu-virus.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Hong Kong girl tests negative for H7N9 (Update)

 shares

Feedback to editors