Duke officials are closely monitoring the reports of avian flu in China, where Duke has a growing number of faculty, staff and students in places like Shanghai and Kunshan.
Cameron Wolfe, MBBS, assistant professor of medicine (Infectious Diseases), said that the H7N9 strain of influenza is typically only seen in birds, but it has now been identified in a number of people in China. According to the World Health Organization, there were 24 confirmed cases of H7N9 in China as of April 9; those cases include seven deaths, 14 severe cases and three mild cases. There have been no cases reported outside of China.
"This is the first time this virus has been seen in people," Wolfe said. "At this stage there appears to be no evidence of human to human transmission. Instead, many of those infected have had close contact with livestock. Although infection seems rare at this stage, the new virus has resulted in severe respiratory illness."