In China, recorded the second wave of avian influenza in this season
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In China, continues a large-scale epidemic of avian influenza, which this year killed nearly a hundred people.
Such a massive outbreak of the incidence has already occurred earlier - in 2013. This season, the epidemic has occurred for the second time, and since the beginning of the year, about 90 patients have already died.
The bird flu virus, rampant in 2017, is known under the H7N9 label. In total, about 260-270 patients with this infection were found during the season.
The BBC news agency notes that the Chinese authorities have already taken measures to close the avian trade markets in the south and central regions of China. Simultaneously, the government strengthened control over transportation and utilization 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 in trading markets or poultry farms.
At the moment, the Chinese authorities are urging residents to beware of contamination and not to visit poultry plants and markets, and health professionals received the latest information on the first likely symptoms of the disease in order to be able to recognize bird flu at an early stage.
In this season, the virus is not so often diagnosed in domestic birds, and more often - in the population. Unfortunately, in most cases, signs of avian influenza are often ignored, as people take them for common colds or poisoning. Nevertheless, in many cases, Chinese doctors diagnosed it is a difficult variant of the course of the disease, which can cause the death of the patient.
The epidemic, which was registered in 2013, caused a lot of panic among Chinese residents: at that time it also became known about the large number of victims from the disease. The population massively bought protective masks and medicines, all poultry was destroyed, the inhabitants of megacities avoided the accumulation of people and public places. However, now many have forgotten about this danger, so this winter, some Chinese people reacted to information about the epidemic with carelessness. Taking this into account, the government has stepped up efforts to work with the population, increased the number of first aid points. Doctors expect that the epidemic of bird flu can last until mid-spring.
Head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Ni Daxin announced that at the moment the situation with the disease is under control: "The peak state of the epidemic is likely to be over. However, a certain number of diseases can be fixed even before the last week of April. "
Avian influenza is considered a viral disease with a high degree of infectiousness. His insidiousness often consists in the fact that the disease proceeds without obvious symptoms, or "masks" for other, less dangerous diseases - cold or food poisoning. The virus is carried by domestic chickens, turkeys, and game - ducks or geese.
[