Recently, additional cases of H7N9 influenza infections have continued to increase in China and the majority of the cases have been reported in Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province. As people celebrated the Chinese New Year holiday and the Lantern Festival, the exposure to poultry was increased. As a result, more illnesses are expected. Travelers planning to visit 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.

Last week, a total of 56 new H7N9 cases were reported in China and the majority of them occurred in Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province.　 In addition, Yunnan Province and Beijing City announced this epidemic season’s first cases. The case reported in Beijing City was imported from Hebei Province. Since fall (October 1, 2016), a cumulative total of 365 H7N9 cases have been confirmed in China, including 115 cases in Jiangsu Province, 65 cases in Zhejiang Province, 41 cases in Guangdong Province, and 39 cases in Anhui Province. The majority of the cases aged 50 and above and reported exposure to poultry or live poultry markets. This epidemic season’s cumulative total has surpassed those reported in the past years. Although some provinces have suspended live poultry markets, demands for poultry remained high during the Chinese New Year holiday and the Lantern Festival. As the exposure to poultry increased, more cases are expected to occur.

On the other hand, since fall 2016, a cumulative total of 2 H5N6 cases have been confirmed in China. One case was reported in Hunan Province and the other was reported in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Both of them developed symptoms in last November. According to the data released by China on January 31, 2017, since 2014, a cumulative total of 17 H5N6 cases have been confirmed in China and all of them are sporadic cases. The cases were reported in 8 provinces, including Guangdong Province, Hunan Province and Yunnan Province. The majority of the cases had severe infection and 12 of them died, resulting in a mortality rate of 70%. More than 70% of the cases ranged in age from 20 to 49 years. More than 80% of the cases had exposure to poultry or live poultry markets.

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, Anhui Province, Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, Guizhou Province, Shanghai City, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Henan Province, Jiangxi Province, Shandong Province, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province, Hebei Province, Beijing City, Tianjin City, Liaoning Province, and Yunnan Province, and a travel notice of Level 1: Watch for avian influenza to the other provinces and cities in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.
 

Taiwan CDC advises travelers visiting China to practice good personal hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water frequently and putting on a mask when coughing and take preventive measures such as avoiding direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings/dead bodies, and consuming only thoroughly cooked poultry and eggs to ward off avian influenza infection. If influenza-like illness symptoms develop upon arriving in Taiwan, please voluntarily notify the airline crew and the quarantine officer at the quarantine station in the airport. If the aforementioned symptoms such as fever and cough 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).