On February 14, 2018, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) received a notification from the China Health and Family Planning Commission concerning the world’s first human case of H7N4 influenza infection confirmed in a 68-year-old female in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, which is the first case confirmed this season (October 2017 till now). On December 25, 2017, the case developed symptoms, including cough, general weakness, muscle ache. On January 1, 2018, the case was hospitalized for treatment due to pneumonia. On January 22, she was discharged from the hospital as she had recovered. Prior to illness onset, she had live poultry exposure. During the monitoring period, none of her close contacts had developed suspected symptoms.

According to China’s analysis, the virus is of avian origin and has not developed antiviral resistance. Taiwan CDC will continue to closely monitor the virus and analyze the genome sequence.

To ward off avian influenza and novel influenza A infection, Taiwan CDC urges the public to adhere to the “5 Do’s and 6 Don’t’s” guidelines. 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.

If influenza-like illness symptoms such as fever and cough develop upon arriving in Taiwan, please voluntarily notify the airline crew and the quarantine officer at the quarantine station in the airport/port. If the aforementioned symptoms develop after returning to Taiwan, please put on a surgical mask and seek immediate medical attention. Moreover, please inform the physician of the recent travel and exposure history to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. 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).