18 April 2013 (01:40 UTC-07 Tango)/07 Jumada t-Tania 1434/29 Farvardin 1391/09 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
In less than 24 hours there were five new human cases of H7N9, according to the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Shanghai reports yet another case, while Zhejiang Province reported four new cases.
There were no details about the death.
17 April 2013 (09:40 UTC-07 Tango)/06 Jumada t-Tania 1434/28 Farvardin 1391/08 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
Shanghai reports another human case, making the total number of confirmed infections for China 78.
In Beijing the seven years old girl who was sick, has been released from the hospital, considered recovered. Her H7N9 tests are now negative.
A four years old boy is still in quarantine, in Beijing. He has no symptoms but tested positive for H7N9, and is considered a carrier.
A child in Shanghai was sick, but recovered, as well as a young adult. So far it looks like the younger you are the better your chances of recovery. Most older people who’re sick are still in the hospital.
In Taiwan, health officials have been reporting an increase in ‘suspected’ cases. But so far, everyone has tested negative.
16 April 2013 (11:38 UTC-07 Tango)/05 Jumada t-Tania 1434/27 Farvardin 1391/07 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
The number of human infections in China is now at 77, a result of 14 more people testing positive in the past 24 hours. 16 people now dead.
Two people died in Shanghai. The UN’s World Health Organization is sending medical researchers to China, to help study the new killer virus.
Health officials are even disinfecting the homes of people who’ve tested positive.
Ministry of Agriculture officials say H7N9 was detected in one pigeon sample from Jiangsu Province, and four chicken samples from Zhejiang Province. Reports say the pigeon is the first wild bird to test positive. Last week pigeons tested positive in Shanghai, but they were domesticated.
15 April 2013 (11:26 UTC-07 Tango)/04 Jumada t-Tania 1434/26 Farvardin 1391/06 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
It’s now becoming routine that every 24 hours you can expect more human infections and deaths from H7N9.
Jiangsu Province reports another death, as well as a new infection.
Anhui and Zhejiang provinces reporting one new case each.
15 April 2013 (21:27 UTC-07 Tango 14 April 2013)/04 Jumada t-Tania 1434/26 Farvardin 1391/06 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention say they’ve identified a human carrier of the deadly H7N9 virus; a four years old boy!
The boy tested positive for the virus, but is not sick. The boy is the neighbor of the seven years old girl that became Beijing’s first human case of H7N9. She is sick in the hospital. The boy is now under quarantine in a hospital.
The four years old carrier was discovered after health officials tested 24 people who were in contact with the girl. Apparently he was the only one who tested positive for the virus. The families all raise poultry.
Up until this discovery Chinese health officials said they had no proof of human to human transmission.
14 April 2013 (09:53 UTC-07 Tango)/03 Jumada t-Tania 1434/25 Farvardin 1391/05 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
Overnight the number of infected humans has jumped from 51 to 60! 13 people now dead.
Shanghai reported three new cases, as well as two deaths.
Jiangsu Province reported two new cases.
Zhejiang Province reports four more people infected, all in critical condition.
14 April 2013 (22:48 UTC-07 Tango 13 April 2013)/03 Jumada t-Tania 1434/25 Farvardin 1391/05 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
Henan Province joins Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, as well as Shanghai and Beijing cities, in reporting H7N9 infections in humans.
Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 34 years old cook and a 65 years old farmer hospitalized with the new flu. The cook is in critical condition.
Since the end of March at least 51 human cases, 11 of them died.
13 April 2013 (12:06 UTC-07 Tango)/02 Jumada t-Tania 1434/24 Farvardin 1391/04 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
Reports from Shanghai of possible human to human H7N9 infections. As well as new cases in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces.
In Shanghai a man whose wife died from H7N9, is now confirmed sick with the same virus. At this point medical officials say they have no proof of human to human transmission.
Chinese media says there are now 49 cases.
13 April 2013 (22:45 UTC-07 Tango 12 April 2013)/02 Jumada t-Tania 1434/24 Farvardin 1392/04 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
“It is possible that these severely ill patients represent the tip of the iceberg and that there are many more as-yet-undetected mild and asymptomatic infections.”-Human Infection with a Novel Avian-Origin Influenza A (H7N9) Virus, NEJM
A seven years old girl is now hospitalized in Beijing, with H7N9. 44 cases, 11 deaths since the end of March.
The girl developed symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat and headache on the morning 11 April. By the evening she had been unsuccessfully treated with Tamiflu, her condition worsened and she was hospitalized. Doctors say oxygen treatment reduced the severity of her symptoms. Test confirmed H7N9. Her family is involved in the poultry business.
This follows warnings from Chinese and international health officials, that H7N9 is much worse than first thought.
In a report published in NEJM researchers warned the H7N9 virus is more virulent than first thought, and they warned of global spread: “…the pandemic potential of these novel avian-origin viruses should not be underestimated……..We are concerned by the sudden emergence of these infections and the potential threat to the human population. An understanding of the source and mode of transmission of these infections, further surveillance, and appropriate counter measures are urgently required.”
The report confirmed claims made earlier in the week by health official in Thailand, it’s new to continental Asia, and it’s never infected humans before: “The transmission of H7 viruses to mammals has been reported only rarely in Asia. Human infections with N9 subtype viruses had not been documented anywhere in the world.”
Of interest is the first three people to die were treated with lots of anti-biotics, which is odd because anti-biotics don’t work on viruses, and “Antiviral therapy was initiated 6 to 7 days after the onset of illness.”
12 April 2013 (12:08 UTC-07 Tango)/01 Jumada t-Tania 1434/23 Farvardin 1391/03 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711
The Beijing Municipal Health Bureau is warning residence that the H7N9 virus is being spread by humans. They are warning that they have reason to believe people traveling from China’s east coast are carriers.
The Beijing Ditan Hospital and Beijing Youan Hospital are now designated H7N9 treatment centers.
Beijing health officials are also warning that this is the time of year when many birds migrate south, which could spread H7N9, if the birds are infected.