Avian Flu Claims Seventh Victim in China
China reported a seventh death from a new form of avian flu and two more cases of infection, while Chinese officials began work on a vaccine and the World Health Organization said it is considering sending a team to China to study the disease.
Meanwhile, chicken consumption appeared to drop as Shanghai and Nanjing shut down bird markets and culled animals in an effort to contain the disease, which as of Monday had infected 24 people.
Both Chinese and WHO officials said Monday they see no evidence the disease can be spread through human-to-human contact. “We really only have sporadic cases of a rare disease,” said WHO China representative Michael O’Leary. “This is not a time for overreaction or panic.”