The World Health Organization (WHO)'s office in Beijing has reiterated there is currently no evidence that H7N9 avian flu has sustained human-to-human transmission, pointing out the key to contain China's current H7N9 situation is poultry control.
"Almost all patients were infected by H7N9 through direct contact with live poultry or poultry market," WHO Beijing office said in a written response to Xinhua on Friday.
Inspectors checking a chicken farm in central China's Hubei on February 3, 2017. /CFP Photo
But the office also said as long as the flu exists, there is a possibility of human infection. So it is very important for people to stay cautious about the flu.
China has the ability to monitor, analyze and report H7N9 cases, WHO said, while acclaiming China's measures to contain the situation, including shutting down and sanitizing poultry markets.
Doctors treating an H7N9 patient at a hospital in southwestern China's Sichuan on February 03, 2017. /CFP Photo
China has stepped up prevention of human H7N9 avian flu which has led to at least 87 deaths nationwide since January. In addition, 269 H7N9 human infections have been reported in China this year.
The latest case was reported in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Friday. The patient, aged 45, was from Danzhai county in the Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Qiandongnan.
All the people who had close contact to the patient have been put under clinical observation and no signs of infection had been detected so far, the provincial health and family planning commission said Saturday.
(With inputs from Xinhua)
