简体中文
Now the latest on the deadly new strain of bird flu that hadn't been seen in humans until about two weeks ago...
Two patients in eastern China who were confirmed as H7N9 cases days ago died on Tuesday, bringing the total number of H7N9 deaths in China to nine.
Chinese health authorities are taking action - they're working closely with the World Health Organization... And say they'll arrest any doctor that covers up H7N9 cases.
According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, as of Tuesday evening, four more H7N9 infections were confirmed in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces...
Bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 28... Of which nine patients, have died.
Two patients in China's financial hub, Shanghai, were confirmed as infected with the H7N9 bird flu virus... neighboring Zhejiang Province also reported two new cases.
So far, 13 cases were reported in Shanghai...
Along with eight in Jiangsu, two in Anhui and five in Zhejiang.
So far, there's no evidence yet of any human-to-human transmission of H7N9.
But the virus has been found in samples from chickens and pigeons... And many patients had come into contact with live or dead birds, including poultry cullers and chefs.
Since then, some of the biggest poultry markets in eastern China, have been shut down... and tens of thousands of birds were culled.
The country's State Food and Drug Administration released a circular on Tuesday calling for tougher supervision in the diagnosis and treatment of H7N9...
With Chinese authorities working closely with the World Health Organization.
The Ministry of Health says it's more prepared in handling public health emergencies than it was a decade ago, when it fought SARS...
China reported the first case of H7N9 to the WHO soon after the case was confirmed...
GFX
"We are very satisfied and pleased with the level of information shared and we believe we have been kept fully updated on the situation."
Michael O'Leary
WHO representative
The WHO says it's "very satisfied...with the level of information shared" by China... and that they believe they've "been kept fully updated on the situation".
China says it'll continue to update the WHO on the spread of H7N9...
And is accepting site inspections as well as providing samples of the virus to the WHO, in line with international health regulations...
China will also arrest any doctor that doesn't disclose H7N9 cases.
In a joint effort to prevent and control the disease, Beijing is also providing a H7N9 avian influenza virus strain to Taiwan... And exchanging information on the latest development of the bird flu across the strait.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has also started researching how humans can avoid contracting the virus.
The project focuses on H7N9's origin, mutations and interactions with hosts.
It'll also do scientific evaluations on immune system responses to the virus as well as performances of antiviral drugs.
In the hope of containing - and eliminating - the virus.
