The Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning reported today on a human H7N9 avian influenza case, the first of 2016 and the seventh overall since 2013.
According to officials, the case is a male patient aged 49 from Tongzhou.
From 2013 to date, 760 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Mainland China health authorities, while since October 2015 to date, 103 cases have been recorded.
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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