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China’s H7N9 bird flu measures came too late, experts say

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Medical workers from Tianjin Inspection and Quarantine Bureau destroy the chicken feed collected from the three places in the city where H7N9 bird flu cases have been found in Tianjin on Feb. 20, 2017. Photo: China Foto Press
Zhuang Pinghuiin Beijing

Attempts by Chinese authorities to curb the H7N9 bird flu virus in live poultry markets came too late, with officials failing to take ­preventative steps before the peak flu season started, medical ­experts say.

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Mainland China is in the grip of the worst outbreak of the H7N9 strain since it first emerged in the country in 2013.

The death toll for January alone was 79, higher than the few dozen fatalities ­recorded during the month in previous years. At least eight more deaths were recorded in the first 12 days of this month.

The experts believe the spike was partly caused by greater human exposure to infected poultry before and during the Lunar New Year holiday, as the season prompted more shopping for poultry, especially live birds.

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The H7N9 virus shows little or no clinical symptoms in poultry, complicating detection. But authorities should have stepped up their surveillance going into the peak season, the experts said.

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