China records new H10N8 bird flu death

World health authorities have flagged concerns about a new strain of avian influenza - H10N8 - that has already killed three people in China.

World health authorities have flagged concerns about a new strain of avian influenza - H10N8 - that has already killed three people in China.

The new strain adds to scientists' concerns over the rapid spread of the H7N9 variant which has infected about 300 people and killed around 75 since March last year.

The three people infected with the H10N8 strain all had contact with live poultry.

Doctors in the region say the virus needs to be closely monitored.

"We know that the pandemic virus, it often comes from animal sources, so we know that the previous influenza virus came either from bird sources or pig sources, so any new animal influenza viruses that affect humans we have to look at very carefully." says Dr Peter Horby, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Oxford University Research Unit in Vietnam.

Other regions have been sources of new disease outbreaks too, but the population density of East and South East Asia lead some to describe it as the "hotspot" for serious new infectious diseases.

The close proximity of livestock and people, the nature of markets and now cheap travel and visa free movements between ASEAN states mean a major problem remains.

Even the region's increasing urbanisation can either be an advantage or a problem, despite impressive improvements in health and the lessons learnt in the past decade.

Hong Kong extends ban on poultry imports amid H7N9 fears.

Hong Kong officials said Tuesday they were extending for four months a ban on live poultry imports from mainland China to guard against H7N9.

The city imposed a 21-day ban in January and culled some 20,000 chickens after the virus was found in one batch of imported chickens.

Photo: Officials test poultry at the border with mainland China in Hong Kong as part of measures against the spread of the deadly H7N9 bird flu. (AFP (File photo))

Health minister Ko Wing-man told reporters there are plans to set up a facility where imported poultry can be quarantined to ensure they are disease-free before being sent to market.

After four months "we will liaise with mainland authorities about the supply of live poultry to Hong Kong", he said.

Before the import ban, local birds were mixed with those from mainland China in the city's only wholesale market, in the Cheung Sha Wan district.

Since December Hong Kong has reported five human H7N9 infections, of whom three have died.

"Complete transformation" in regional outbreak response

Dr Horby urges there be no letting up in building capacity to deal with biological threats.

Once a virus becomes transmissible from person-to-person, it's likely to spread very quickly.

But he says the region's surveillance and response measures have improved drastically in recent years.

"You only have to look at the difference from SARS to the emergence of H7N9 in China. It's been a complete transformation really.

"With H7N9 influenza, the Chinese have been incredibly quick to identify the problem, to investigate it, to inform regional and global authorities and also to cooperate with other countries in investigating the problem, monitoring it and reporting it," he said

ABC/AFP