04/05/2013, 00.00
CHINA
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Number of Chinese victims from new bird flu virus now at six

A local farmer Zhejiang died this morning after contracting the H7N9 virus, a variant of the infamous H5N1. The Chinese authorities are trying to keep the alert level low and WHO speaks of situation "still under control."

Huzhou (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Zhejiang farmer died this morning in Huzhou after having contracted bird flu from the H7N9 virus. He is the sixth human victim in China, where the alert level continues to rise in spite of the authorities' attempt to keep concern over the new epidemic low.

The death was confirmed by local health officials. The victim is the second person to die in Zhejiang, where 13 other patients seem to have been infected with the flu strain that has "mutated" from the H5N1 virus of avian influenza that in recent years created panic across Asia.

The World Health Organization, for the moment, is keeping the epidemic alert low: according to international officials "there is no evidence" that the new version of bird flu can be transmitted from human to human, and this factor makes an increase in cases of infection "unlikely".

For its part Beijing is keeping its tones even lower. Ministry of Health and the hospital officials "have no comment to make" on the matter, but on the Internet the population thinks differently. On Weibo a post reads: "They know everything but don't want to tell us."

The only immediate reaction is to slaughter poultry. In Shanghai, where the first cases and 4 deaths from the H7N9 occured, the authorities ordered the decimation of poultry in the Huhuai market, in the western part of the city, where the virus had been found in a pigeon for sale.

 

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