New Strain Of Bird Flu Continues To Spread - China Reports First H7N9 Case In Shandong Province, Avian Influenza Victims Now At 105

China reported the first case of a new strain of bird flu infection in the northeastern province of Shandong, according to the news agency Xinhua.

The 36-year-old man from the city of Zaozhuang is currently receiving hospital treatment. And people who were in close contact with the newest victim are being observed for symptoms of the illness, but have not displayed any signs of infection.

The total number of victims of the novel form of avian influenza is now at 105.

And while it is still unclear as to how people are becoming infected with the H7N9 virus that has already killed 20 people in China, the World Health Organization, or WHO, says that they do not believe the illness is being transferred between people.

Xinhua is also reporting two more cases of avian influenza infection in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

WHO is currently leading a team of investigators who are looking into response protocols in Shaghai---a location where a lot of cases have been reported, said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general for health, security and the environment for WHO.

"Right now we are in the middle of our work. We have not come up with any final conclusions, and I think it is too early to say," Fukuda said.

The H7N9 strain of influenza has already caused twice as many confirmed cases of infections in China in just two months since its first detection, compared to what H5N1 has caused in ten years---Ho Pak-leung, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, noted in the British Medical Journal.

"H7N9 is much more transmittable to humans, and it's much more difficult to track down," he said.

"We don't understand why it's so difficult to find."

But he added that the problem could be due to the timing of the tests being carried out.

"It (also) might be that they are not sampling enough animal species, and they may have to take a look at the less common species of birds being sold in Chinese markets," he said.

(SOURCE)