31 January 2014
Incidence rates for H7N9 continue to increase in China, with 153 H7N9 Human infectious cases reported in 2013 according to the World Health Organization(WHO). In January 2014, 110 H7N9 cases were reported in China, including 20 fatalities.
A family cluster was reported that involves three people from Zhejiang province, a 49-year-old man, his wife, and their 23-year-old daughter.
The man's infection, which ultimately proved fatal, was confirmed on Jan 20. His daughter got sick 3 days after taking her father to the hospital, and she is in serious condition.
The man's wife's infection was confirmed on Jan 27, and her illness is mild.
The parents are from Xiaoshan and worked as vegetable dealers in a live-bird market before they got sick and that their daughter had worked at the market for a short time.
Live poultry markets in several major cities will be closed by local authorities and live poultry trading will be halted
China’s Ministry of Agriculture said that poultry farmers had lost an estimated $3.3 billion due to H7N9 infections, as sales and prices of poultry products have slumped severely.