Guangdong case of H7N9 bird flu is confirmed as Hong Kong remains alert
The case of an infected poultry worker in Guangdong is the first in the province
A poultry worker was confirmed as having contracted the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus, health officials said, the first case in the southern Guangdong province as nearby Hong Kong remained on alert.
The 51-year-old woman is in critical condition after she was admitted to hospital on August 3 following signs of a fever, the Guangdong Provincial Health Department said on Saturday.
“She was a poultry slaughtering worker at a local marketplace,” the local health bureau said in a statement on its website.
A total of 134 cases have now been reported on the Chinese mainland, including the Guangdong case. A Hong Kong government spokesman said on Sunday that it was closely monitoring the virus for any developments.
"We should be mindful of the situation, as Guangdong is adjacent to Hong Kong," Leung said. "We are also paying attention to whether the virus has been changing or has the ability to spread from human to human."