In other developments, Iran reported several more H5N8 outbreaks and Bosnia and Herzegovina reported its first H5 outbreak of the season.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed another MERS-CoV infection yesterday, noting a severe case in Mecca.
The patient is a 60-year-old male expatriate who is hospitalized in critical condition with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) illness. He is not a healthcare worker and had direct infection with camels, a known risk factor.
Since November China has totaled at least 347 H7N9 avian flu cases.
Officials reported six more H7N9 avian influenza infections in five different provinces in China, signaling an ongoing surge of activity what will likely make the current fifth wave of illnesses the largest since the virus was first detected in humans in 2013.
Poland reports high-path H5N5, and Nigeria confirms another H5N8 outbreak in poultry.
Active surveillance put in place after H7N9 emerged in neighboring China helped Myanmar identify H5N6 for the first time in poultry.
One more H7N9 avian flu infection was reported from China today, a sign of ongoing activity that is within striking distance of the record 319 cases reported during the second wave of activity during the winter of 2013-14.
In a sign of an ongoing steady stream of H7N9 avian flu cases, five new infections have been reported, four from China's mainland plus an imported infection in Taiwan, according to statements yesterday and today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
Also, 5 European nations report much more H5N8, and Japan confirms a new H5 outbreak.
Today China reported two more cases of H7N9 avian flu in Sichuan province, according to FluTrackers, an infectious disease tracking message board. The patients are in critical condition. According to translated news reports, no close family contacts have tested positive for the highly pathogenic strain.
