New Strain Of Avian Flu Kills Two In Shanghai Third Victim Critical

H5N1

With scientists the world over watching Avian Flu H5 N1 for signs that it has started to pass easily from human to human a new strain of Avian Flu has been detected.

Two men, one aged 87 and the other 27 have died in Shanghai after been infected with H7N9, a form never known previously to have been passed to humans. Although from the same area there is no connection between the men. A third victim, a 35 year old woman from Anhul province which is close by is critically ill in the hospital.

Currently there is no vaccine to protect against H7N9 and doctors are working around the clock to find a suitable treatment regimen. Both the dead men reported with coughs and fever before developing pneumonia and succumbing to the disease.

The new stain moving from birds to humans comes just a few weeks after a new type of coronavirus was discovered that has so far killed more than a dozen people, three in the UK and the rest in the Middle East.

So far, the World Health Organization has only issued a general statement saying:

Most avian flu viruses to not infect humans and so far the majority of H5N1 cases have been associated with contact with infected poultry.

There was no mention of the new strain which is not referenced in the WHO Avian Influenza information section. It is assumed that now H7N9 has made the species jump it will be included in the near future.

Some Chinese language blogs are suggesting that the son on one of the victims is fighting for his life and that a 5th victim is isolated in a different hospital. It has also been said by some on the blog sites that none of the dead or sickened have had contact with poultry. Although these facts can’t at this point be confirmed, it would not be surprising as the Chinese are notoriously tight-lipped regarding information that has not come from official sources.