Tag Archives: China

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

H7N9 update: 38 cases, 10 deaths! KFC sales crashing!

11 April 2013 (09:17 UTC-07 Tango)/30 Jumada l-Ula 1434/22 Farvardin 1391/02 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission reports five new cases and one death in the H7N9 outbreak.  Two new cases in Jiangsu Province, and three new cases, including the death, in Shanghai.

The 74 years old man that died was confirmed to have H7N9 Wednesday night, but died today.  As with other H7N9 cases, he had been admitted to a hospital with pneumonia.

Chinese health officials say, so far none of the relatives of the sick people are showing any signs H7N9 infection.

Yum Brands, the company that owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, say sales at their Chinese KFC restaurants are crashing. They blame the H7N9 bird flu for scaring customers off from eating chicken.  Sales at Chinese KFCs dropped 16% in March.

However, there is a problem with their blame game for crashing sales: The H7N9 bird flu scare didn’t start until the end of March.  Yum Brands own records show their restaurants in China have been losing sales since January.  In January and February they saw a 20% drop in sales.

International

H7N9 update: China distributes new test for rapidly mutating virus!

11 April 2013 (23:25 UTC-07 Tango 10 April 2013)/30 Jumada l-Ula 1434/22 Farvardin 1391/02 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention is shipping out 160000 new tests (real-time PCR reagents) for the new H7N9 virus.

It’s hoped the new test will speed identification of new cases.  So far 33 people confirmed infected, nine have died.

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: North Korea playing mind games with missiles? Travel agencies cancel trips!

11 April 2013 (22:26 UTC-07 Tango 10 April 2013)/30 Jumada l-Ula 1434/22 Farvardin 1391/02 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

“Because of the situation in North Korea, all tours are canceled from now. We will announce when tours begin again as soon as we get official information from North Korea.”-China based travel agency Explore North Korea statement

“We are in constant contact with our partners in North Korea, and they have told us that the North remains open to tourists and have encouraged us to run our scheduled tours.”-U.S. based travel agency Uri Tours statement

ROK and USFK upped security status to Watchcon 2, the second highest level.  However, some analysts in South Korea think the DPRK is playing mind games with their ICBMs: “…the North has been repeatedly moving its missiles in and out of a shed….”

It now appears that North Korea is purposely moving mobile ICBM systems all along their east coast.  One ROK analyst says the DPRK is trying to “fatigue” intelligence gatherers for South Korea and United States.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3, Economic Front: California makes deal with China!

10 April 2013 (15:00 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

“California could get new investment worth hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars from China by the end of 2020.”-Wang Chao, China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce

The city of Shanghai, and the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong and Chongqing have signed a $1.4 billion USD trade deal with the U.S. state of California.

It’s the biggest trade deal with any U.S. state.  It involves more than 70 California companies and at least 100 Chinese entrepreneurs.

 

Business/Economics, International

World War 3, East Asian Front: South Korean bank paralized!

10 April 2013 (14:35 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

The ROK bank, NongHyup Bank, reporting that its internet banking service is paralyzed.  They do not know why.  Technicians are working at their operating system location in Anseong, they hope to have it solved before tomorrow.

International

H7N9 update: 33 cases! Norovirus Bird flu? Bloggers arrested! Child only person to recover!

10 April 2013 (14:27 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

Shanghai health officials reporting new human cases, now at 33.   A 76 years old woman developed symptoms on 01 April, then went into hospital on 05 April.  Another woman, an 81 years old farmer, she had symptoms of gastroenteritis and pneumonia. Yesterday she was confirmed to have H7N9.

Three new cases were also reported in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.  So far the only person to recover is a four years old boy in Shanghai.

10 bloggers were arrested in six provinces, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian.  They were spreading rumors that the H7N9 had spread to other provinces.

The city of Taiyuan, in Shanxi Province, has joined Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai in banning live poultry markets.

International

H7N9 update: Chinese and Japanese have evidence of rapid mutations, almost AIDS like! Resistance is futile?

10 April 2013 (02:29 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

Chinese and Japanese researchers have made independent reports, indicating the new H7N9 is rapidly mutating.  This could explain the difficulty in detecting it.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo said H7N9 samples from four Chinese victims showed noticeable differences in gene sequences, from person to person. The Researchers think the infections were from multiple sources.

In China, researchers at South University of Science and Technology said they noticed rapid mutation in nine of H7N9’s 560 amino acids. They estimate the new virus is mutating eight times faster than ‘normal’ flu viruses: “It happened in just one or two weeks. The speed may not have caught up with the HIV, but it’s quite unusual for a flu.”-He Jiankui, South University of Science and Technology

The rapid mutation will make it almost impossible to develop vaccines or anti-virals for the new ‘bird’ flu.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: China closes border! Multiple Missiles ready for launch!

10 April 2013 (00:29 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

China has closed a border crossing with North Korea: “Travel agencies are not allowed to take tourist groups to go there, since the North Korean government is now asking foreign people to leave.”-unnamed official with the Dandong Border Office

South Korean media reporting that military satellite imagery shows multiple ICBMs ready for launch in North Korea.  The missiles include short range Scud, medium range Nodong as well as the BM25 Musudan: “There are clear signs that the North could simultaneously fire off Musudan, Scud and Nodong missiles.”-unnamed ROK spokesman

International

H7N9 update: 9 people dead! Still no connection to birds!

10 April 2013 (19:50 UTC-07 Tango 09 April 2013)/29 Jumada l-Ula 1434/21 Farvardin 1391/01 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

A 35 years old woman has died in Anhui Province. So far 28 cases, nine deaths since the end of March.

Chinese health researchers have yet to find a definite connection between birds and humans.  This suggests the H7N9 infecting humans is unique to humans.  The new strain of H7N9 hasn’t been found in pigs either.

Yesterday, the top veterinarian in China stated that this new H7N9 came from outside continental Asia, which backed up what health officials in Thailand said a couple of days ago.

 

International, U.S.

H7N9 update: Chinese Agriculture Ministry joins Thailand in accusing the United States of spreading the new disease!

09 April 2013 (14:50 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Jumada l-Ula 1434/20 Farvardin 1391/29 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

Yesterday, Thai health officials pointed out that H7N9 is new to continental Asia, that it’s only been found in Japan, Europe and United States.

Today China’s chief veterinarian, Yu Kangzhen, revealed that this is the first time the H7N9 virus has been detected in China.  To make things more interesting, Yu says so far no connection has been found between the poultry cases and the human cases.  He believes the source of infection for both poultry and humans came from outside China.

This announcement by China’s Ministry of Agriculture comes two days after a Chinese air force Colonel, Dai Xu, accused the United States of biological warfare.