Bird flu kills Guiyang woman in first fatal case in a year
One of two patients confirmed to have contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus died yesterday in a hospital in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province. Guizhou authorities said Shuai Pengyue, a 21-year-old woman from Guiyang, died of multiple organ failure.
One of two patients confirmed to have contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus died yesterday in a hospital in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.
Guizhou authorities said Shuai Pengyue, a 21-year-old woman from Guiyang, died of multiple organ failure. It was the first fatal case of bird flu on the mainland since January last year.
Another Guiyang resident, a 31-year-old man, remained in critical condition after developing symptoms on February 3, Xinhua reported. Neither had been in contact with birds and their cases were unrelated, the report said, citing the Ministry of Health. No one who had been in close contact with the two had fallen ill, the report added.
"These two cases were diagnosed rather late, after they showed symptoms, resulting in their organs being severely damaged and causing death in one," said Dr Ho Pak-leung, a University of Hong Kong microbiologist.
These two cases were diagnosed rather late, after they showed symptoms, resulting in their organs being severely damaged and causing death in one
There were no signs of an outbreak, and Hong Kong did not import chickens from the area, Ho added. He said people travelling to the area should maintain the highest standards of hygiene.