Lack of poultry contact adds to mystery
Source: Agencies |
April 18, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE World Health Organization said yesterday that a number of people who tested positive for the new strain of bird flu in China had no history of contact with poultry, adding to the mystery about the virus that has killed 16 people to date.
Chinese authorities have slaughtered thousands of birds and closed some live poultry markets to try to stem the rate of human infection, but many questions remain unsolved including whether the H7N9 strain is being transmitted between people.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl confirmed that "there are people who have no history of contact with poultry," after a top Chinese scientist was quoted as saying about 40 percent of those with the H7N9 flu had had no poultry contact.
"This is one of the puzzles still (to) be solved and therefore argues for a wide investigation net," Hartl said. Several avenues should be explored by an international team of experts going to China soon, Hartl said, including the possibility that the virus can be spread between people, although there is "no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission."
He added: "It might be because of dust at the wet markets, it could be another animal source beside poultry, it could also be human-to-human transmission."
Wendy Barclay, a flu expert at Imperial College London, said it was likely to be very difficult to determine and rule out people's exposure to poultry - and to wild birds, which could also be a possible source of infection.
"The incubation time might be quite long so visiting a market even 14 days before might have resulted in infection," she said.
Previously the WHO reported two suspected family "clusters," but later said the virus was found not to have infected anyone in the first. Tests in the second were inconclusive and experts say poor quality samples may make it impossible to know.
Chinese authorities have slaughtered thousands of birds and closed some live poultry markets to try to stem the rate of human infection, but many questions remain unsolved including whether the H7N9 strain is being transmitted between people.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl confirmed that "there are people who have no history of contact with poultry," after a top Chinese scientist was quoted as saying about 40 percent of those with the H7N9 flu had had no poultry contact.
"This is one of the puzzles still (to) be solved and therefore argues for a wide investigation net," Hartl said. Several avenues should be explored by an international team of experts going to China soon, Hartl said, including the possibility that the virus can be spread between people, although there is "no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission."
He added: "It might be because of dust at the wet markets, it could be another animal source beside poultry, it could also be human-to-human transmission."
Wendy Barclay, a flu expert at Imperial College London, said it was likely to be very difficult to determine and rule out people's exposure to poultry - and to wild birds, which could also be a possible source of infection.
"The incubation time might be quite long so visiting a market even 14 days before might have resulted in infection," she said.
Previously the WHO reported two suspected family "clusters," but later said the virus was found not to have infected anyone in the first. Tests in the second were inconclusive and experts say poor quality samples may make it impossible to know.
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