Two H7N9 cases reported in China
Chinese officials have reported two H7N9 infections that occurred between September and Oct 10, but no details about the cases were available. The infections were noted in a government National Health and Family Planning Commission notifiable diseases overview in Chinese published on Oct 10 that was flagged, translated, and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.
FluTrackers said the cases are most likely two that were reported briefly by Chinese-language media reports in September from two cities in Zhejiang province, Jinhua and Huzhou. In addition, on Oct 4 FluTrackers flagged a foreign-language report of an H7N9 case in Shengzhou, another city in Zhejiang province.
The World Health Organization has said sporadic reports of H7N9 infections are expected in China, but global health officials are watching to see if the fall season will bring another wave. The second wave began in October 2013 with a small spurt of infections in Zhejiang province, and the fall of 2014 saw a start of a rise in H7N9 infections that carried into the winter months.
Oct 11 FluTrackers thread
FluTrackers H7N9 case list
Nigeria, Ghana, Vietnam report H5N1 outbreaks
Nigeria, Ghana, and Vietnam recently reported H5N1 avian flu outbreaks affecting almost 12,000 poultry total, according to three separate reports posted by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The outbreak in Nigeria hit a farm in Jigawa state of 4,000 egg-laying chickens beginning on Oct 2, according to an Oct 8 OIE report. The virus killed 1,000 poultry, and the rest were culled to stem disease spread. The country has had 90 H5N1 outbreaks so far this year, mostly in the south. Jigawa is in the north.
In Ghana, the virus struck a backyard flock of 400 broiler chickens and a farm of 4,731 egg-laying poultry, both in Western region, according to an Oct 10 OIE report. H5N1 killed 1,672 birds outright (14 in the backyard flock), and the rest were euthanized as a preventive measure. Ghana also has been hit hard by H5N1 this year but hadn't reported an outbreak since August.
And in Vietnam H5N1 was confirmed on a farm in Kon Tum province in the central part of the country after 2,685 of 2,701 poultry became ill and 1,500 birds died. All surviving birds were culled. The outbreak began on Oct 4, and response measures have been implemented, officials said in an Oct 10 report.
The four outbreaks affected 11,832 poultry all told.
Oct 8 OIE report on Nigeria
Oct 10 OIE report on Ghana
Oct 10 OIE report on Vietnam