Researchers looking for mutations that might make H7N9 avian influenza more easily transmissible among people identified three amino acid changes that would make the virus more likely to bind to human airway receptors. A team of researchers from the United States, including those from The Scripps Research Institute, and the Netherlands reported its findings today in PLoS Pathogens.
In addition, Korea, Zimbabwe, and Luxembourg note H5N8, and Libya confirms H7.
Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection confirms 12 H7N9 cases reported this week.
Two countries reported more highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks: H5N8 in Russia and H5N2 in South Korea, according to notifications today from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Russia's outbreak began on May 4 in backyard birds in the Republic of Tatarstan in the west. The virus killed 13 of 51 birds, and authorities culled the remaining ones as part of the response measures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in its latest update reported a new suspected case of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), prompting the surveillance of 15 additional contacts. The suspected case is from the Ngayi health area, in northern DRC.
Reassuringly, the disease doesn't seem more severe than in the earlier 4 waves.
South Korea, Belgium, and the United Kingdom all report new H5N8 avian flu outbreaks.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS yesterday in a man from Riyadh.
The 47-year-old expatriate is in critical condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The man is not a healthcare worker, nor did he have contact with camels. The source of his infection is listed as primary, which means it's unlike he contracted it from anyone else.
Cases are down slightly from the 9 reported last week.
In another sign of further northward spread, China's Inner Mongolia province has reported its first human H7N9 avian flu case, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said today in a statement. The development comes just a few weeks after H7N9 was detected for the first time in live-bird markets in Inner Mongolia province. The province mainly borders Mongolia, with a small part abutting Russia.
