Officials from the China Health and Family Planning Commission have recently confirmed the first case of H7N9 influenza infection in Inner Mongolia, China. Due to the potential risk of H7N9 transmission in Inner Mongolia, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) thus raised the travel notice level for the autonomous region to Level 2: Alert for novel influenza A infections on June 1, 2017. Although H7N9 activity in China has recently slowed, sporadic cases have continued to occur in new provinces and avian influenza outbreaks have continued to occur. Outbreaks are expected to persist based on the past year surveillance data. Travelers planning to visit affected areas in China are urged to heighten their vigilance for avian influenza, practice good personal hygiene, avoid contact with poultry and birds and visiting live poultry markets, and consume only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs in order to ward off infection.

The case is a male patient who resides in Wuyuan County, Baynnur Prefecture, Inner Mongolia who had domesticated poultry exposure history. Infection with H7N9 influenza was confirmed in the case after re-testing. Currently, the case is in stable condition. Since October 1, 2016, a cumulative total of 714 H7N9 influenza infections have been confirmed in China, which is the highest in years. In April 2017, 24 cases were confirmed in Sichuan Province, 23 cases were confirmed in Hebei Province and 17 cases were confirmed in Beijing City. Since March 31, 2013, a cumulative total of 1,512 H7N9 influenza infections, including 571 deaths, announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 16, 2017 have been confirmed around the world.

Currently, Taiwan CDC has issued a travel notice of Level 2: Alert for human infections with novel influenza A viruses to Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Guangdong Province, Anhui Province, Hunan Province, Jiangxi Province, Fujian Province, Hubei Province, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Henan Province, Guizhou Province, Sichuan Province, Shandong Province, Shanghai City, Beijing City, Chongqing City, Liaoning Province, Yunnan Province, Gansu Province, the Tibet Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, Tianjing City, Shaanxi Province and Inner Mongolia, and a travel notice of Level 1: Watch for avian influenza to the other provinces and cities in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.　　

As H7N9 activity in China remains at its peak at the moment, Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting China to adhere to the “5 Do’s and 6 Don’t’s” guidelines to ward off avian influenza. The “5 Do’s” include: Consume only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs; Wash hands with soap and water thoroughly; Wear a mask and seek immediate medical attention when symptoms develop, and inform the doctor of your job and exposure history; People who have long-term or repeated exposure to poultry, including poultry growers and workers, should receive influenza vaccine; Eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. The “6 Don’t’s” include: Don’t consume raw or undercooked poultry, eggs and poultry products; Don’t smuggle or purchase poultry from unknown sources; Don’t touch or feed migratory birds or poultry; Don’t release poultry into the wild or randomly abandon poultry; Don’t keep domesticated and wild poultry together; Don’t visit crowded and poorly ventilated public places. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).