Bird flu virus kills Chinese man

Bus driver from Guangdong dies after testing positive for H5N1 strain, despite having had no apparent contact with poultry

A Chinese man diagnosed with the country's first case of bird flu in more than a year has died in the southern city of Shenzhen.

The 39-year-old bus driver was admitted to hospital with pneumonia but tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The strain has a high mortality rate, killing up to 60% of infected humans.

The man, surnamed Chen, developed a fever on 21 December and was admitted to hospital on Christmas Day. Local health officials said 120 people who had close contact with Chen have not developed any abnormal symptoms.

The Chinese health ministry has informed the World Health Organisation about the case, health officials added.

During the month prior to his fever, Chen, apparently had no direct contact with poultry and did not travel out of Shenzhen.

The city, home to 10 million people, is separated by a small river from Hong Kong, where 19,000 chickens have been slaughtered after two were confirmed last week to have died from the H5N1 virus.

Hong Kong also banned imports and sales of live poultry for three weeks after an infected chicken carcass was found at a wholesale market. Tests later confirmed that an Oriental magpie robin found dead on 17 December was also infected.

H5N1 rarely infects humans and usually only those who come into close contact with diseased poultry. China's last reported human case of H5N1 was in June 2010. A pregnant 22-year-old woman from central Hubei province died after being exposed to sick and dead poultry.

Staff and agencies

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Two die after H7N9 bird flu virus develops drug resistance

The Lancet reports that H7N9 is already showing the ability to mutate to avoid treatment with Tamiflu

James Meikle

28, May, 2013 @5:13 PM

Article image
Avian flu: Chinese pigeon fanciers vaccinate tens of thousands of birds
Long-distance carrier pigeon races are cancelled as bird flu death toll mounts

Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing

09, Apr, 2013 @1:03 PM

Article image
End Chinese bear-bile farming, says UK animal rights activist
A new campaign says medicine made from bile extracted from caged bears is unethical and may be harmful to humans

Jonathan Watts

09, Jan, 2012 @2:10 PM

Article image
The end of free-range eggs? Year-round bird flu outbreaks may keep hens inside
Highly virulent variants of avian flu now appear endemic in wild birds, making farms prone to outbreaks all year, experts warn

Tom Levitt

25, Mar, 2022 @6:15 AM

Article image
Bird flu fears lead to Shanghai poultry market cull
Authorities slaughter more than 20,000 birds after H7N9 strain of virus is detected in pigeons and human death toll rises to six

Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing

05, Apr, 2013 @10:15 AM

Article image
China confirms first ever human case of H7N4 bird flu
A 68-year-old patient from Jiangsu province, who has since recovered, developed symptoms on Christmas Day and was admitted to hospital

Tom Phillips in Beijing

15, Feb, 2018 @6:35 AM

Article image
Bird flu threat leads to closure of poultry markets in Shanghai
Chinese officials shut down all live fowl markets in city and order cull as deaths from H7N9 virus jumps to six

Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing and agencies

06, Apr, 2013 @1:39 PM

Article image
China detects first human case of H3N8 bird flu strain
Experts say widespread transmission of flu in birds is increasing scope for avian viruses to mix and mutate

Tom Levitt

27, Apr, 2022 @3:36 PM

Article image
New H7N7 bird flu strain discovered that could pose threat to humans
H7N7 virus, found in chickens at markets in China, can kill ferrets, which are used as proxies for people in flu research

Ian Sample, science correspondent

21, Aug, 2013 @5:51 PM

Article image
China reports nine bird flu cases amid allegations of cover up on social media

H7N9 killed two men in Shanghai, reports of the disease have also emerged in eastern Anhui and Jiangsu provinces

Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing and Nicola Davison in Shanghai

04, Apr, 2013 @3:17 AM