Outbreaks of avian flu had horrendous world a few years ago. Now in China, emerging new type of avian flu virus that has struck nine people. 3 One of them was saved. Well, there are a few things to know about this new type of avian flu.
Strain or the latest type of bird flu virus by researchers called the H7N9 virus. So far, the virus has already claimed three lives as people in China, the two people in Shanghai and 1 Zhejiang province.
As reported by Live Science, Thursday (04/04/2013), here are some things to note from the new virus:
1. H7N9 virus has attacked humans before
H7N9 virus strain is known commonly found in poultry or birds, but initially did not cause disease in humans. Most of the strains of the bird flu virus does not infect humans.
However, there are exceptions to the H5N1 bird flu virus that has made more than 600 diseases in humans in 15 countries since 2003.
2. Viruses with the same strain can infect humans
In a report published the Journal of Virology, strains of the H7 family of flu viruses have caused more than 100 cases of human infection for 10 years. For example, H7N7 virus strain that had become epidemic in 2003 in the Netherlands and infecting 89 and claimed the first casualties.
"The letter 'H' and 'N' in the name refers to the viral protein on the surface of the virus called hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. There are 16 types of hemagglutinin and 9 neuraminidase types that can appear in a variety of combinations," said Dr. Richard Webby, a bird flu expert and researcher Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
3. Symptoms of people infected with the flu virus H7
According to WHO, the three victims died from bird flu infection in China the newest type of respiratory tract infections continue to pneumonia and respiratory distress. Most H7 influenza virus infections can be seen from the appearance of conjunctivitis or eye infection that is not contagious between humans.
4. Is it true that H7N9 virus can be transmitted between humans?
According to the WHO, to date, there is no evidence that this new H7N9 strain can spread between humans. In the case of China, it seems the cases are not related. People are close and never made contact with the victim also infected. However, the WHO still continue to uncover certainty.
"This virus has genetic markers that can be expected to infect humans. But it could be a marker appears only when the virus has infected human. If viruses in animal populations also have this marker, should be the case that humans can attack more," says Webby.
5. How the spread of H7N9 virus
Researchers strongly suspect that H7N9 has a population of sources. However, if the population is birds or other organisms, still have studied further. There are many animals that can be infected with suspected, but only a minority of cases where the H7N9 virus jumped to humans.
6. Efforts health officials
"In addition to trying to identify the source of the virus, health officials will be looking for more cases. Recent cases investigated now presumably still at the extreme ends of the spectrum in the severity of symptoms. Could be that there are still many people who are infected but not so bad," said Webby .