New human H7N9 case sparks concerns of continued infections

China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of a new lab-confirmed case of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza A virus (bird flu). This is the first confirmed case of human infection with H7N9 since July 20, 2013. The patient is a 51-year-old woman from Huizhou, Guangdong Province. NHFPC reported the woman became ill on July 27, 2013 and was admitted to a local hospital a day later. She was then transferred to a hospital in Huizhou City on August 3. She is reportedly in critical condition. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the case as positive for H7N9 on Friday, August 9. The Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control confirmed the case on Saturday, August 10. According to state-owned Xinhua news agency, the woman, surnamed Chen, was a poultry slaughtering worker at a local marketplace in Boluo County for years. She...