Daily Dispatch

Deadliest bird-flu in China

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CHINA is experienci­ng its deadliest outbreak of the H7N9 bird-flu strain since it first appeared in humans in 2013, killing 79 people in January alone and spurring several cities to suspend live poultry trade.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Wednesday that by the end of January a total of 100 people had died in the current bird-flu season, which commonly emerges in winter and continues into the spring.

The 79 deaths in China last month compared to just five in January last year, according to the commission.

H7N9, a subtype of influenza that affects both birds and humans, was first discovered in China in 2013. — AFP

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