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Bird flu viruses
China

Guiyang woman dies of bird flu in hospital

A 21-year-old woman died in a in Guiyang hospital of bird flu on Wednesday, state media said, a rare case in the country of a fatality from the H5N1 virus since a major outbreak a decade ago.

 

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A vendor selects chickens for a customer at a poultry market in Shanghai. Photo: AP

A woman in southwestern China died of bird flu on Wednesday, state media said, a rare case in the country of a fatality from the H5N1 virus since a major outbreak a decade ago.

The 21-year-old patient from Guiyang passed away 13 days after showing symptoms, Xinhua news agency said, citing the health ministry.

Another city resident, a 31-year-old man who developed signs of the virus around the same time, was reported over the weekend to be in critical condition.

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More than 365 people have died of bird flu globally since a 2003 outbreak, the World Health Organisation said in its latest report.

It noted that China has seen one fatal case per year since 2010, down from a total of 25 from 2003 to 2009.

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The H5N1 virus typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form transmissible between humans.

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