BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua)
-- China's agricultural authorities said
Thursday the infectious H7N9 avian flu
virus has been detected from pigeon
samples collected at a marketplace in
Shanghai, as the country reported its
fourth death from H7N9
infection.
The samples were
collected at a marketplace selling
agricultural products in the Songjiang
District of Shanghai and tested H7N9
positive by the national avian flu
reference laboratory, according to a
statement by the Ministry of
Agriculture.
After gene sequence
analysis, the national avian flu
reference laboratory concluded that the
strain of the H7N9 virus found on
pigeons was highly congenetic with
those found on persons infected with
H7N9 virus.
The ministry has
ordered beefed-up monitoring of H7N9 bird
flu virus in more
areas.
Also on Thursday, three
more suspected H7N9 cases were reported
in Shanghai, where three H7N9 human
infection cases have been
confirmed.
China has thus far
confirmed 11 human cases of H7N9
infections.
China's health
authorities have promised transparency and
cooperation to the World Health
Organization (WHO) in regards to human
infections of the new strain of
bird flu.
The Chinese Center
for Disease Control and Prevention
said Wednesday that no human-to-human
transmission of H7N9 has been discovered
and no epidemiological connection between
these cases has been found.
