'Pandemic' possible with H7N9 virus
By Shan Juan | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-06-14 07:33
Mutations could lead to worldwide catastrophe, Chinese study finds
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Notably, the number of human cases reported over the same period has more than doubled from previous epidemics, the study found, deepening concerns over mutations enabling the virus to easily jump between people - which could lead to a global spread.
Bernhard Schwartlander, China representative of the World Health Organization, told China Daily that the risk of human-to-human transmission is low, as the virus does not appear to transmit easily from person to person.
"However, experts agree that it is not a question of if, but when, the virus will adapt in ways that facilitate sustained human-to-human transmission," he warned.
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Roughly 70 percent of infected patients reported live poultry exposure, mostly at the markets, the study found. More than 40 percent of the patients who were hospitalized died.
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http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/...t_29733650.htm
See also:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31274-6/fulltext
