Officials with the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province have reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9).

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

The case involves a male patient aged 63 who lives in Meizhou, Guangdong.

From 2013 to date, 759 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Chinese Mainland health authorities. 195 cases have been reported from Guangdong Province.

In addition, 23 cases imported from China have been reported in Canada (2), Hong Kong (16), Malaysia (1) and Taiwan (4).

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by those influenza viruses that mainly affect birds and poultry, such as chickens or ducks. These AI viruses are distinct from human seasonal influenza viruses. Since the AI viruses does not commonly infect human, there is little or no immune protection against them in the human population. People mainly become infected with AI through direct contact with infected birds and poultry (live or dead), their droppings or contaminated environments.

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