Tongan health officials have confirmed a first-ever chikungunya outbreak affecting more than 10,000 people, according to an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) report today. The Polynesian archipelago nation is home to about 100,000 people.
China reported one new H7N9 influenza infection, in a 30-year-old man from Hunan province, according to a Chinese media report that quoted the province's health department.
The report was translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. The patient is hospitalized, and the report didn't list his condition.
Dutch researchers say they've found five mutations that make H5N1 airborne transmissible in ferrets.
Hong Kong and China each reported a new H7N9 influenza case over the past 2 days, according to official statements, signaling ongoing low-level activity in the second wave of activity.
China reported one additional H7N9 influenza case and another death from the virus today, according to health officials in Guangdong province.
The latest case-patient is a 79-year-old man from the Guangzhou, the province's capital, according to a health department statement translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. He is hospitalized in critical condition.
A Cochrane review that included published studies as well as unpublished drug-company data for the two most common antiviral drugs for flu—oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza)—found that they can shorten symptoms by about two thirds of a day but can cause side effects. The investigators also found few data to support stockpiling the drugs for pandemic or seasonal flu, according to reports today in BMJ.
The new H7N9 cases include three from the mainland and one from Hong Kong.
Editor's Note: The North Korea item was edited on Apr 10 to reflect the correct avian flu strain (H5N1) in last year's outbreak in that country.
China's Anhui province yesterday reported a new case of H7N9 avian flu, according to a provincial health report posted by the infectious diseases news board FluTrackers.
China has reported two more cases of H7N9 avian flu, according to a provincial health report posted by the infectious diseases news board FluTrackers.
Both patients are from Jiangsu province, and their cases were confirmed on Apr 5. The first is a 73-year-old man from Taizhou City who is hospitalized in critical condition.
A study focusing on H7N1 avian flu viruses prompted special prepublication reviews because of "dual use" concerns.
