After confirming with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Command Center revealed that H7N9 affected areas in the mainland China currently include Shanghai City, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Beijing City and Henan Province. Cumulative confirmed cases in the mainland China totaled 77 (30 in Shanghai City, 20 in Jiangsu Province, 21 in Zhejiang Province, 3 in Auhui Province, 1 in Beijing City and 2 in Henan Province), including 16 deaths (11 in Shanghai City, 2 in Jiangsu Province, 2 in Zhejiang Province and 1 in Anhui Province). 

According to the Center for Disease Control’s surveillance data, a total of 10 suspected cases were reported in Taiwan from 8:00 a.m. yesterday (April 16) to 8:00 a.m. today (April 17); all were reported by medical care institutions. Five of them are still under examination, while the rest are denied the possibility of H7N9 infection (1 is H1N1 positive and the others are all negative). Besides, the possibility of H7N9 infection is also denied for the 3 cases under examination as announced in yesterday’s press conference (all are negative). 

As H7N9 is a low-pathogenic virus for poultry, migratory birds may transmit the disease as carriers. Since the coast of Zhejiang in mainland China is one of the stop-overs for migratory birds to move south from Siberia to Taiwan every autumn, the Command Center invited migratory bird experts including Researcher Cheng Ming-Chu from the Animal Health Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture (COA), and President Juan Chin-Sung of Wild Bird Society of Taipei today to talk on migratory bird surveillance and risk assessment against influenza A (H7N9). The aim was to prevent the possible transmission of H7N9 virus from migratory birds to local wild birds and poultry, thus threatening Taiwan’s disease prevention work. COA stated that they have been stepping up virus monitoring and inspection of migratory birds including the Anatidae, Ardeidae, Scolopacidae, and Laridae families, and strengthened isolation measures of pig and poultry farms to prevent contact between poultry and migratory birds. By April 16 this year, 2,293 migratory birds’ excrements had been sampled and tested as a spontaneous monitoring task, and no H7N9 virus had been detected. In addition, all municipal, county and city governments have requested pig and poultry farms to complete the installation of bird-proof facilities in accordance with the “health management preventive measures against avian influenza” stipulated in the Infectious Animal Disease Prevention and Control Act. Damages to the facilities should be repaired and restored as soon as possible, to prevent wild birds from contacting the poultry during migratory birds’ stay in winter. At the same time, business groups are also assisting in publicizing the importance of the bird-proof facilities, guiding those in the poultry-rearing industry to complete the installation and repair damages to the bird-proof facilities as soon as possible. 

The Command Center would like to appeal again: Taiwan nationals traveling to mainland China should refrain from contacting and feeding birds, eat only fully cooked poultry and eggs, and put into practice the personal hygiene protective measures such as washing hands frequently and wearing a mask. When returning to Taiwan from a H7N9 affected area in the mainland China, please wear a mask and consult a doctor immediately once symptoms such as fever and cough appear, and inform the doctor of your travel history. The latest updates about the epidemic and information about travel-related infectious diseases are available at the “H7N9 Flu” page and “International Travel Info” page of the Center for Disease Control website (http://www.cdc.gov.tw). Alternatively, citizens may also call the toll-free reporting and care hotline 1922, or 0800-001922 disease prevention hotline if short-number calls cannot be made with their phone.