China goes on high H7N9 bird flu alert

Hangzhou is planning to close live poultry trading markets permanently and promote the supply chains of frozen poultry products instead, Zhang Hongming, acting mayor of the provincial capital of Zhejiang, told Xinhua.

China has also made progress in vaccine research for H7N9.

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. said in early January that the H7N9 vaccine developed by its subsidiary Hualan Biological Bacterin Co., Ltd. had passed an initial examination and was being handled by the food and drug watchdog in central Henan province, but it will be a long time before the production of H7N9 vaccines.

With the epidemic developing in some areas, the Chinese government has been on high alert. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine intensified H7N9 bird flu virus monitoring at borders to prevent cross-border transmission.

Staff at customs will measure body temperature, conduct medical inspections and report on the health of passengers.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said Monday that sporadic H7N9 cases will continue in some cities. The commission urged local health departments to strengthen prevention and control measures and ensure the implementation of them during the Spring Festival.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Sunday called for coordinated efforts to prevent and control H7N9 avian flu, urging local departments to keep on high alert and cooperate in prevention and control of the disease.

Experts said on Monday that a large-scale H7N9 epidemic is unlikely during the Spring Festival holiday, as no H7N9 virus mutation that could affect public health has been identified.

"There is no evidence of regular inter-human transmission, and the risk assessment of H7N9 epidemic outbreak is unchanged," said Shu Yuelong, director of the Chinese National Influenza Center (CNIC).

According to a plan for human H7N9 infection diagnosis and treatment issued on Sunday, the majority of human H7N9 infections are sporadic cases and there has been no evidence for consistent human-to-human infection, but limited, single human-to-human transmission cases cannot be be ruled out.