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China records second wave of bird flu this season
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A large-scale bird flu epidemic continues in China, which has already claimed the lives of almost a hundred people this year.
A similar mass outbreak of the disease has already occurred before, in 2013. This season, the epidemic has already occurred for the second time, and since the beginning of the year, about 90 patients have died.
The bird flu virus that is raging in 2017 is known under the designation H7N9. In total, about 260-270 patients with this infection were detected during the season.
The BBC news agency notes that the Chinese authorities have already taken measures to close bird markets in the south and central regions of China. At the same time, the government has tightened control over the transportation and disposal of poultry. The fact is that a significant number of patients were infected with the bird flu virus as a result of direct contact with domestic birds. Most often, such contacts were observed at markets or poultry farms.
At the moment, Chinese authorities are urging the country's residents to be wary of infection and not to visit poultry factories and markets, and health workers have received the latest information on the first possible symptoms of the disease in order to be able to recognize bird flu at an early stage.
This season, the virus is not so often diagnosed in poultry, but more often in the population. Unfortunately, in most cases, the signs of bird flu are often ignored, as people take them for a common cold or poisoning. However, in many cases, Chinese doctors have diagnosed a severe form of the disease, which can cause the death of the patient.
The epidemic, which was registered in 2013, brought a lot of panic to the ranks of the residents of China: at that time, it also became known about a large number of victims of the disease. The population massively bought protective masks and medicines, all poultry was destroyed, residents of megacities avoided crowds of people and public places. However, now many have forgotten about this danger, so this winter some Chinese treated information about the epidemic with carelessness. Taking this into account, the government has strengthened activities to work with the population, increased the number of first aid stations. Doctors expect that the bird flu epidemic may continue until mid-spring.
Ni Daxin, head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that the disease situation is currently under control: "The peak of the epidemic is most likely behind us. However, a certain number of cases may be recorded even before the last week of April."
Bird flu is considered a highly contagious viral disease. Its insidiousness often lies in the fact that the disease proceeds without obvious symptoms, or is “masked” by other, less dangerous diseases – a cold or food poisoning. The virus is carried by domestic chickens, turkeys, and game – ducks or geese.
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