Latest human bird flu cases in China raise concerns of potential outbreak

Since 2014, 83 human cases of avian influenza H5N6 have been reported by China’s health authorities. - AFP

BEIJING (The Straits Times/Asia News Network):China’s latest reported human cases of bird flu have raised concerns among experts about the infections tied to a high fatality rate despite the authorities saying there is a low risk of transmission.

The latest case is a 53-year-old woman from Jiangsu province in eastern China, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) official cited by BNO news. She developed symptoms on Jan 31 after exposure to poultry and tested positive for the H5N1 strain, before being hospitalised on Feb 4.