Shenzhen reports 3rd H5N6 case
Xinhua, January 21, 2016
The south Chinese city of Shenzhen on Thursday reported its third human infection of the H5N6 strain of bird flu this winter.
A 31-year-old woman in Futian District developed fever symptoms on Jan. 8 and was in critical condition after being admitted to the hospital on Jan. 14, said Ma Hanwu, deputy director of the Shenzhen center for disease control and prevention.
Following medical treatment, the woman was temporarily in stable condition, said Ma.
Ma said the H5N6 strain has a low risk of human infection and human-to-human transmission, but citizens should see a doctor if they develop a fever.
The first patient in Shenzhen died on Dec. 30. Gene analysis of a sample from the 26-year-old woman indicated her infection was from contact with live poultry or a poultry market.
Authorities in Shenzhen have ordered the closure of local live poultry markets for three weeks starting Jan. 9.
The latest case is the fifth in China since September and the 8th so far worldwide.
Apart from the cases in Shenzhen, Zhaoqing City in Guangdong Province has reported one case and Jiangxi Province has reported one.
The world's first human H5N6 infection was reported in May 2014 in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
