Deadly H7N9 occurs for the first time in March
Chinese scientists have found the most convincing evidence so far that the deadly new strain of bird flu, "jump" from person to person. Experts emphasize, however, that the virus still can not be easily transmitted between humans, BTA reported.
The first scientific analysis of the transmission of the strain H7N9, showed for the first time in China in March this year, is published in the journal "British Medical Journal".
The study analyzed the case of a father and daughter from East China died after infection with H7N9. Experts have not been able to talk to them since they were both in serious condition, but questioned the family members and loved ones
friends. The analysis has shown that it is highly likely that the virus will be transmitted directly from the 60-year-old man, his daughter.
In a commentary accompanying the publication, experts note that "the study does not necessarily mean that H7N9 will be the next culprit an influenza pandemic, but stresses the need for extreme vigilance."
"The threat, which is H7N9, does not over," commented James Radzh and Richard Coker of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The authors of this study from the Centre for prevention and control of diseases in Jiangsu province, however, stressed that the new strain has not yet acquired the ability to transmit efficiently from person to person. This means that the risk of the virus in its current form can cause human pandemic is very low.
The new H7N9 strain of bird flu occurs in March in China. According to WHO, the virus has so far infected 133 people in the country and Taiwan, killing 43 of them. Most cases of infection among people who have visited markets for live birds or had close contact with live birds between seven and 10 days to get sick.
The study, published in the journal "British Medical Journal" analyzed "family" case of two patients - a father and daughter from East China. 60-year-old man regularly visited the market for live poultry and got sick between five and six days after the last contact with birds. He was admitted to hospital on March 11. Following the deterioration of symptoms the patient was transferred to the intensive ward on March 15. He died of multiple organ failure on May 4.
The second patient - his healthy 32-year-old daughter, not having visited markets for poultry, but has been in direct contact with his father, caring for him in the hospital before his transfer to the ICU. The woman developed symptoms of infection
six days after the last contact with his father. Admitted to the hospital on March 24, moved in ICU on March 28 and died of multiple organ failure on April 24.
Strains of the virus isolated from samples of both patients were "almost genetically identical" - convincing evidence that H7N9 has passed directly from father to daughter.
"To our knowledge, this is the first report of a possible transmission of the new virus from person to person, accompanied by detailed epidemiological, clinical and virological data," wrote the authors of the study published in the journal "British Medical Journal".