Thursday, February 16, 2017

Beijing CDC Statement On Imported H7N9 Cases & Advice To Public

FAO Update Feb 15th












#12,236


Although Beijing has reported two recent imported cases, they are normally somewhat removed from China's yearly H7N9 epidemic, with only 11 cases reported since the virus first appeared in 2013.

This year's epidemic is unusually robust, and two imported cases in less than a week is a bit of a wake up call, which likely explains the rather detailed advice proffered today by Beijing's CDC.

[Beijing] CDC to remind you prevent H7N9, focusing on self-protection
 
Published: 2017-02-16
Source: City CDC - Advocacy Center      

            This year, China appears more H7N9 cases. According to the Beijing Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission Bulletin, February 11, 2017, the Beijing report a case of imported H7N9 cases. The patient is a man in Hebei Province, the local medical institutions for treatment. Because the condition gradually worsened, on February 6 go to the city for treatment. The patient in critical condition, still in the full treatment. After investigation, patients with suspected history of exposure to poultry, which are currently in close contact with no associated symptoms. The patient is the first case of H7N9 cases found in the city in 2017.


            February 14, 2017, the city has reported 2017 second cases of imported H7N9 cases. The seedlings of a patient, male, 48 years old, Liaoning Xingcheng people; the incidence in the local January 31; February 3 - 7 days, patients in local medical institutions for treatment did not improve; February 8 morning, I was transferred to City medical institution. At present, the patient serious condition, still in the full treatment. After investigation, the patient exposure history in the field of live poultry. Currently close contacts in Beijing had no associated symptoms.


H7N9 , the disease can not be ignored

 
            H7N9 as Class B infectious diseases, acute respiratory infections caused by the avian influenza virus, and higher mortality. According to available research data show that as of now its etiological characteristics of the virus, transmission and propagation mode did not change significantly, the birds carry the virus and their droppings, secretions may still be the main source of infection of the H7N9 virus. China city and town live bird markets transactions ubiquitous phenomenon backyard poultry in the short term is difficult to eliminate. Birds carrying the virus situation persists. In view of this, it is expected there will still be cases of H7N9, the epidemic is still mainly sporadic state, there will be a small number of clusters of disease.


            At present, China is in the high season H7N9 epidemic, several provinces in southern H7N9 case report persistent. Although Beijing has issued regulations related to live bird markets closed since 2005, but there are still small-scale illicit trading of live poultry in some urban and rural areas scattered in the sale of live poultry sales and secretly slaughtered condition persists and stored in other provinces live birds enter the case. Therefore, do not rule out the possibility of Beijing residents infected with H7N9 virus. Especially in close contact with poultry workers at greater risk. In addition, Beijing is rich medical resources, a large number of foreign patients to Beijing for treatment, and does not exclude foreign imported cases to Beijing medical institution may be diagnosed.


Daily life how to prevent infection H7N9 ?

 
            Prevention of H7N9, the most important thing is to reduce the exposure, good personal protection, to develop good health habits. In this remind you:


        To avoid contact with livestock; buy chilled poultry meat from the formal channels, the consumption of poultry eggs to fully cooked, and pay attention to separate raw and cooked; avoid contact with wild birds or entering wildfowl habitat; attention away from the farmhouse in play poultry slaughtering site; wash their hands, pay attention to personal hygiene; avoid going to crowded, polluted air of the place, especially to avoid going to live poultry markets have traded; reasonable diet, to ensure adequate nutrition and sleep; timely addition and subtraction clothes; take part in outdoor sports activities.


In close contact with poultry population on how to prevent H7N9 ?

 
            At present, evidence suggests contacting live poultry and live bird markets are important risk factors for H7N9 infection. By direct contact with respiratory or carrying the virus in poultry and their droppings, secretions may be the main route of transmission of H7N9 virus infection. The main route of infection by the following: inhalation of droplets or droplet nuclei containing avian influenza virus; direct contact with the avian influenza virus infected birds or their secretions and excretions; indirect contact with bird flu virus-contaminated objects and the environment.


        1 , avian lovers should be how to prevent H7N9 ?
 
        (1) strengthen management, improve the body resistance to disease poultry; note cages hygiene; ensure cage ventilation; loft birdcage pay special attention to health, pay attention to daily disinfection.
        (2) keep birds at home, they should avoid contact with wild birds. Once in contact, should be promptly to disinfect the cage, if necessary, also to animal epidemic prevention departments.
        (3) at the time of raising birds or bird-watching as much as possible to avoid contact with birds and their droppings, handling their droppings should wear gloves; after contact with them or their droppings must use soap and water thoroughly clean your hands.
        (4) does not pick up dead birds during bird watching, do not eat wild birds.


        2 , employees should be how to prevent avian H7N9 ?

 
        (1) contact with poultry during work activities, should wear protective clothing, wearing masks and gloves, good personal protection, reducing direct contact with poultry.
        (2) when cleaning the poultry houses, to strictly implement the cleaning and disinfection procedures; after cleaning, to be timely and thorough hand washing and sanitizing; when physical contact birds dirt, but also a thorough cleaning.
        (3) When you find sick or dead poultry, and notify the local animal quarantine department.
        (4) When the fever, cough, sore throat, general malaise and other symptoms when you should wear a mask, and as soon as the fever outpatient, and their professional activity before the onset of the history and active Advertisement doctor.
        (5) holding wash their hands frequently indoor ventilation, attention to nutrition, to ensure adequate sleep and rest, increasing physical activity.


        3 , poultry processing workers how to prevent H7N9 ?
 
        (1) Regular cleaning and disinfection for all workstations, equipment and utensils to prepare poultry, wash hands frequently.
        (2) processing to do separate raw and cooked poultry. In particular, some utensils, containers should also pay attention to separate raw and cooked.
        (3) ensure that food cooked to the proper temperature, the bird flu virus generally sensitive to heat, strong resistance to low temperature, heating 65 ℃ 30 minutes or boiling (100 ℃) 2 minutes can be inactivated completely cooked poultry / pork is edible. However, the virus can survive at a lower temperature for 1 week at 4 ℃ water or glycerol remains active presence of more than one year.
        (4) When the hands are broken handle meat is recommended to wear gloves.


Curiously, despite today's announcement of another 61 cases from the mainland, and obvious signs of concern both in Hong Kong and Macao, and on the mainland, we are seeing media reports suggesting that China's avian flu outbreak is declining (see Reuters China says bird flu spread slows, vows to stiffen controls).

While one hopes that to be the case, the numbers we've seen announced by the NHFPC over the past couple of weeks (100+ cases) seem about on par with the number of cases we saw announced for the month of January (n=190).