MOH is monitoring H7N9 epidemic

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is keeping a close watch on the recent report of H7N9 influenza in China.

Malaysia Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring the situation too.

MOH has been in close communication with WHO to assure that the situation does not spread to this country.

“So far, no warning or alert has been issued and MOH is communicating closely with the Malaysia’s Department of Veterinary Services as well ,” said Noor Hisham.

He added from the surveillance that was made, no suspicious cases of H7N9 avian influenza have been detected in Malaysia.

The epidemic has since killed two people in China while a 35-year-old woman in Shanghai is critically ill.

All three initially experienced symptoms like fever and cough before developing severe pneumonia and breathing difficulties.

The cause of the infection is yet to be known and the disease had not been transmitted to humans before.

Four more people in China have been infected with a new strain of bird flu, bringing the country's total to seven.

According to the health bureau in the eastern province of Jiangsu, three women and one man had contracted H7N9 avian influenza.

Meanwhile the World Health Organisation played down fears over a strain of bird flu which has killed two people in China, but said it was crucial to find out how the virus infected humans.

"It's the first time that H7N9 was found in humans," said UN health agency's spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters, referring to the deadly strain of avian influenza.

"It is of concern to WHO and we will be following this with the health authorities in China to know more. But for the time being, it's only three cases and it has shown, for the time being, no human-to-human transmission," she added.