Poultry farms may be H7N9 source, study finds
The study, compiled after a week-long field assessment of the influenza by a panel of experts commissioned by the WHO, was publicised by the National Health and Family Planning Commission yesterday.
A joint study by the World Health Organisation and the central government said poultry farms might be the source of the H7N9 virus that has killed 21 people.
The study, compiled after a week-long field assessment of the influenza by a panel of experts commissioned by the WHO, was publicised by the National Health and Family Planning Commission yesterday.
The report said H7N9 had a higher potential for human-to-human transmission than any other known bird-flu virus, but added that there was no evidence supporting that such transmission had already taken place.
Apart from the three family clusters reported by the commission earlier, all the remaining cases were sporadic.
It said H7N9 had infected more patients in a shorter time than other bird-flu viruses, and some samples had shown genetic alterations, which meant the organism had adapted to be more contagious than other avian-influenza viruses.
Among the 104 confirmed cases, 72 per cent have had exposures to poultry and poultry markets. It said poultry farms were likely the source of infections.