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Report date : 2017-03-06 00:00:00 Country : Nigeria Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-06 15:31:36 Country : Nigeria Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-06 00:00:00 Country : Romania Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-06 00:00:00 Country : United States of America Disease: : Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) View the full article

Tennessee Press Conference

USDA Radio http://audioarchives.oc.usda.gov/sites/default/files/DA0_7DAFA49D7C0E4369AEA5E6FB1F3599F6.MP3

As of 3 March 2017, yellow fever virus transmission continues to expand towards the Atlantic coast of Brazil in areas not deemed to be at risk for yellow fever transmission prior to the revised risk assessment, supported by the scientific and technical advisory group on geographical yellow fever risk mapping (GRYF), and published by WHO in the Disease Outbreak News of 27 January 2017, and on the WHO International Travel and Health website on 31 January 2017 and 14 February 2017. View the full article

http://www.aces.edu/eden/agricultural-disasters/avian-influenza/

The Facts - Week of March 6, 2017 Avian influenza has been confirmed in a Lincoln County, Tenn., breeder flock. State and federal officials have established a 6-mile diameter control around the site of the infected flock. Because the Tennessee farm is near the Alabama border, portions of Alabama are in the quarantine zone. Testing is required at least weekly in the infected and buffer zones of all poultry premises. All samples will be collected by trained state personnel and tested in one of the state diagnostic labs. All flocks that test positive must have flock plans and compliance agreements to cover procedures necessary to develop response and emergency plans. Quarantine regulations will restrict movement of all poultry and equipment especially in and from the infected zone. Consumers can be confident in the safety of poultry products. Affected birds do not enter the food chain. What Backyard Flock Owners Can Do Continue effective biosecurity measures. Do not move birds from their current location. Do not visit farms or other households with poultry. If you travel to a place where other birds are present or even to the feed store, clean and disinfect tires, poultry cages and equipment before returning to your property. These can harbor germs. Keep out unnecessary visitors. Other people and birds—including new birds recently purchased and wild birds—can carry diseases to backyard flocks. If visitors have birds of their own, do not let them enter your bird area or have any access to your birds. Be sure that feeders are in a covered location where wild birds cannot gain access. This will help reduce the potential for disease carried in the droppings of wild birds. Alabama Poultry Industry at a Glance Alabama is the nation's second largest producer of broilers (chickens bred and raised for meat production). Poultry and egg production generate more than $15 billion a year in Alabama. More than 85,000 jobs in the state relate to the poultry and egg business. Top broiler producing counties: Cullman Dekalb Marshall

PRESS RELEASE Monday, March 6, 2017 Contact: Amy Belcher 334-240-7126 Avian Influenza Detected near Alabama Border Montgomery, AL – On Sunday, March 5, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial chicken breeder flock in Lincoln County, Tennessee. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States this year. Samples from the affected flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at Tennessee’s Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. Virus isolation is ongoing and a control zone has been established. Since Lincoln County, Tennessee borders Alabama, portions of Alabama are within the control zone which includes one commercial Tyson farm. Tyson collected samples from the farm and they have tested negative for avian influenza. The department is adhering to Alabama’s HPAI Preparedness and Response Plan. The first priority is to test commercial poultry, but backyard flocks are also included. State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier dispatched staff professionals to go into the communities (door-to-door) within the control zone on Sunday, March 5 to collect samples from backyard flocks. Roughly 14-15 premises have been inspected and it is estimated that this surveillance is 95% complete. This surveillance should be completed by noon today. Commissioner John McMillan has spoken directly with Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton and assured him that our department staff will continue to work closely with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. “I want to assure all Alabamians that our department will continue our surveillance for avian influenza and approach this incident with an abundance of caution. Every flock of chickens in Alabama is tested for avian influenza before being processed for human consumption,” said Commissioner McMillan. The facility in Tennessee is under quarantine, along with approximately 30 other poultry farms within a 10 kilometer radius (6.2 miles) of the site. The affected flock has been depopulated to stop potential spread of the illness and officials are testing and monitoring other flocks within the control zone. No other flocks in the control zone have experienced an increase in mortality and the first round of testing has all been negative for avian influenza. HPAI does not pose a risk to the food supply. No affected animals entered the food chain. The risk of human infection with avian influenza during poultry outbreaks is very low. In fact, no transmission to humans was reported during the outbreak that affected commercial poultry farms in the Midwestern United States in 2015. Also, this is not the same strain identified in that outbreak. However, out of an abundance of caution, officials with the Tennessee Department of Health and Tennessee Department of Agriculture are working together to address concerns about the health of individuals who are working on site or had contact with affected birds. Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier has been working closely with Tennessee State Veterinarian Dr. Charlie Hatcher and encourages commercial poultry producers and backyard flock owners to observe their birds closely and continue to practice strict biosecurity measures. These include: Isolating birds from other animals Wearing clothing designated for use only at the poultry house Minimizing access to people and unsanitized equipment Keeping the area around the poultry buildings clean and uninviting to wild birds and animals Sanitizing the facility between flocks Cleaning equipment entering and leaving the farm Having an all in, all out policy regarding the placement and removal of the poultry Properly disposing of bedding material and mortalities Avoiding contact with migratory waterfowl Frazier reminds all poultry owners and producers to strictly adhere to the biosecurity guidelines mentioned above. During this time, backyard flock owners should refrain from moving birds offsite or introducing new birds. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Poultry Division is available to answer any questions concerning movement of poultry and should be notified at 334-240-6584 if birds show unusual signs of disease (flu-like symptoms) or flocks experiences unexplained mortalities. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has created a website to assist backyard flock owners with maintaining healthy birds and to provide answers for Avian Influenza control. It can be found at www.AlabamaAvianInfluenza.com. http://www.agi.alabama.gov/s/avian-influenza-detached-near-alabama-border

Report date : 2017-03-03 00:00:00 Country : France Disease: : Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-03 00:00:00 Country : France Disease: : Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-04 00:00:00 Country : Mexico Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-05 00:00:00 Country : Czech Republic Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-06 09:48:56 Country : Poland Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-04 00:00:00 Country : Cambodia Disease: : Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) View the full article

Report date : 2017-03-05 00:00:00 Country : Nepal Disease: : Highly path. avian influenza View the full article

South Korea to ban imports of U.S. poultry as bird flu found in U.S. ReutersMarch 5, 2017 SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will ban imports of U.S. poultry after a strain of H7 bird flu virus was confirmed at a U.S. chicken farm, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. The import ban will be effective from March 6, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, has been importing eggs from the United States as its worst-ever bird flu outbreak has tightened the country's egg supplies. (Reporting By Jane Chung; Editing by Richard Pullin) https://www.yahoo.com/news/south-korea-ban-imports-u-poultry-bird-flu-020522005.html?soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=tw

U.S. | Sun Mar 5, 2017 | 9:05pm EST Bird flu found in Tennessee chicken flock on Tyson-contracted farm left right 2/2 left right FILE PHOTO: The Avian influenza virus is harvested from a chicken egg as part of a diagnostic process in this undated U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handout image. Erica Spackman/USDA/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS 1/2 left right 2/2 left right 1/2 By Jo Winterbottom A strain of bird flu has been detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted to U.S. food giant Tyson Foods Inc, and the 73,500 birds will be culled to stop the virus from entering the food system, government and company officials said on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said this represented the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry in the United States this year. It is the first time HPAI has been found in Tennessee, the state government said. Tyson, the biggest chicken meat producer in the United States, said in a statement it was working with Tennessee and federal officials to contain the virus by euthanizing the birds on the contract farm. In 2014 and 2015, during a widespread outbreak of HPAI, the United States killed nearly 50 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens. The losses pushed U.S. egg prices to record highs and prompted trading partners to ban imports of American poultry, even though there was little infection then in the broiler industry. No people were affected in that outbreak, which was primarily of the H5N2 strain. The risk of human infection in poultry outbreaks is low, although in China people have died this winter amid an outbreak of the H7N9 virus in birds. The facility in Tennessee's Lincoln County has been placed under quarantine, along with approximately 30 other poultry farms within a 6.2-mile (10 km) radius of the site, the state said. Other flocks in the quarantined area are being tested, it added. Tyson, the USDA and the state did not name the facility involved. Tyson said that it did not expect disruptions to its chicken business. The USDA should have more information by Monday evening about the particular strain of the virus involved, spokeswoman Donna Karlsons said by email. HPAI bird flu was last found in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana in January 2016. The USDA said it would inform the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and international trading partners of the outbreak. RELATED COVERAGE South Korea to ban imports of U.S. poultry as bird flu found in U.S. The biggest traditional markets for U.S. chicken meat are Mexico and Canada, which introduced state or regional bans on U.S. broiler exports after the outbreak two years ago, and China, which imposed a national ban. Tennessee's broiler production is too small to rank it in the top five U.S. producing states but it is the third-largest generator of cash receipts in agriculture for the state. In January, the USDA detected bird flu in a wild duck in Montana that appeared to match one of the strains found during the 2014 and 2015 outbreak. The United States stepped up biosecurity measures aimed at preventing the spread of bird flu after the outbreak two years ago. Tyson said precautions being taken include disinfecting all vehicles entering farms and banning all nonessential visitor access to contract farms. In recent months, different strains of bird flu have been confirmed across Asia and in Europe. Authorities have culled millions of birds in affected areas to control the outbreaks. France, which has the largest poultry flock in the European Union, has reported outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus. In South Korea, the rapid spread of the H5N6 strain of the virus has led to the country's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf in New York and Jo Winterbottom in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-usa-idUSKBN16C0XL

TYSON FOODS’ STATEMENT ON AVIAN INFLUENZA IN TENNESSEE March 5, 2017 We're addressing a form of avian influenza on a single contract chicken farm in Tennessee. It's a bird health issue and not a food safety or human health concern. We’re responding aggressively, and are working with state and federal officials to contain the virus by euthanizing chickens located on the farm. This not only prevents the potential spread of disease, it is more humane for the infected birds. All flocks located within a six-mile radius of the farm will be tested and will not be transported unless they test negative for the virus. Based on the limited scope known to us at this time, we don’t expect disruptions to our chicken business and plan to meet our customers’ needs. All of our U.S. poultry operations continue to operate under heightened biosecurity as a result of outbreaks that affected the poultry industry in the U.S. in 2015. Our precautions include the elimination of all non-essential visitor access to our contract farms, maintaining proper disinfection of vehicles entering farms and the use of a biosecurity uniform for all visitors. Additional precautions for on-farm footwear have been established to prevent potential tracking of the virus into poultry houses. Tyson Foods employees who come in contact with live birds have received additional training specifically designed to help protect against the spread of avian influenza and we frequently communicate additional biosecurity guidance to the farmers who grow for our company. Consumers should know that this is an animal health issue and not a food safety issue. In the unlikely event that any chickens affected by avian influenza were ever processed, there’s no evidence to suggest that any form of avian influenza can be transmitted to humans from properly cooked poultry. According to the World Health Organization and the CDC, properly cooked poultry (minimum of 165 degrees with proper hygiene) is perfectly safe to eat. Out of an abundance of caution, we test all Tyson-owned flocks for the virus before they leave the farm, and we know the results before they’re processed. Should any flock be diagnosed with highly pathogenic avian influenza, farms are immediately quarantined and birds from them are not processed. Additional information is available from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services and from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Media Contact: Worth Sparkman, 479-290-6358, [email protected] http://www.tysonfoods.com/media/position-statements/avian-influenza-in-tennessee

Interview with State Vet Part 2

Interview With State Vet Part 1

HEALTH MAR 3 2017, 5:56 PM ET CDC Concerned by H7N9 Bird Flu’s Sudden Spread in China by MAGGIE FOX SHARE Share Tweet Share Email Print A sudden surge in cases of H7N9 bird flu in China is a "cause for concern," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. It's infected 460 people just since October, the CDC said in a report. "It's by far the largest epidemic wave since 2013," said CDC flu expert Dr. Tim Uyeki. Health officials in protective suits put a goose into a sack as part of preventive measures against the H7N9 bird flu at a poultry market in Zhuji, Zhejiang province on Jan. 5, 2014. Reuters file The CDC has been working on a vaccine against H7N9 just in case it's ever needed and is starting work on a second one now because it's started to mutate. "It's a cause for concern, that's for sure," Uyeki told NBC News. "The surge in numbers of human H7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern." The CDC issued a travel notice in January, cautioning travelers to China to stay away from live bird markets. Uyeki said travelers do not need to avoid China but they should be aware that poultry can spread the virus. Related: WHO Says Watch Out for Bird Flu Since 2013, H7N9 bird flu has infected 1,258 people, the CDC said. So 460 cases in just five months account for a third of all the cases over four years. Earlier this week the World Health Organization held a meeting on H7N9 and then issued public reassurances, saying the virus did not appear to have changed in a way that would make it more likely to spread to people or to make it more dangerous to people. “The surge in numbers of humanH7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern.” Instead, the changes make the virus more dangerous to birds — which could be a good thing. "These changes make the virus highly pathogenic in birds, meaning that it can cause some severe disease in birds," Dr. Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's global influenza program, told reporters. "Previously, H7N9 had only been observed to be 'low pathogenic' in birds, meaning the virus did not cause visible outbreaks of disease in birds," Zhang said. If an avian influenza virus kills birds, it's bad for poultry farmers but it can give a warning that the virus is spreading. The problem with H7N9 has been that it does not make poultry sick, so it can spread among flocks without people knowing it. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Can You Catch Bird Flu? 0:42 Uyeki is worried that H7N9 has become more widespread in China, spreading silently and infecting more people because it's infecting more birds. "You could have more cases of human infection even if the risk of poultry-to-human transmission has not changed," he said. China has been publishing genetic sequences of the H7N9 virus in public databases, but it has not been sharing actual samples of the virus, so it's not possible for U.S. labs to test the virus themselves to see whether it's changed and if so, whether it's more dangerous. But it's already dangerous. H7N9 is considered a moderate to high pandemic threat, although the CDC and WHO do not think an H7N9 pandemic is about to happen, or even that it is certain to happen. Related: CDC Issues H7N9 Travel Warning H7N9 is one of several strains of bird flu that officials are watching because they have the potential to cause a human pandemic. So far, H7N9 doesn't seem to infect people easily and people who are infected do not seem to spread it to others much. But influenza viruses change quickly and unpredictably, and if one starts passing easily from one person to another it could spread. “H7N9 viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk.” "From what we understand, there have been no real changes in the epidemiology or mortality of hospitalized H7N9 cases," Uyeki said. H7N9 can be deadly when people do get it. It kills more than 40 percent of people who get sick enough to go to the hospital. Related: H7N9 has cost billions "Early symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu and may include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue, loss of appetite, and runny or stuffy nose," CDC said. It often progresses to pneumonia. And hospitals or clinics treating people infected with H7N9 need to take precautions to make sure patients do not infect anyone else. "Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza A (H7N9) virus infection in people presenting with respiratory illness within 10 days of travel to China, particularly if the patient reports exposure to birds or poultry markets," the CDC says. The CDC and WHO are watching the spread of several bird flu viruses that are known to infect people, including H5N1 and H7N2. Related: Vet Catches Bird Flu From Cats "Although the current risk to the public's health from A(H7N9) viruses is low, among the 12 novel influenza A viruses evaluated ... A(H7N9) viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk," the CDC team said in the report released Friday. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-concerned-h7n9-bird-flu-s-sudden-spread-china-n728946

HEALTH MAR 3 2017, 5:56 PM ET CDC Concerned by H7N9 Bird Flu’s Sudden Spread in China by MAGGIE FOX SHARE Share Tweet Share Email Print A sudden surge in cases of H7N9 bird flu in China is a "cause for concern," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. It's infected 460 people just since October, the CDC said in a report. "It's by far the largest epidemic wave since 2013," said CDC flu expert Dr. Tim Uyeki. Health officials in protective suits put a goose into a sack as part of preventive measures against the H7N9 bird flu at a poultry market in Zhuji, Zhejiang province on Jan. 5, 2014. Reuters file The CDC has been working on a vaccine against H7N9 just in case it's ever needed and is starting work on a second one now because it's started to mutate. "It's a cause for concern, that's for sure," Uyeki told NBC News. "The surge in numbers of human H7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern." The CDC issued a travel notice in January, cautioning travelers to China to stay away from live bird markets. Uyeki said travelers do not need to avoid China but they should be aware that poultry can spread the virus. Related: WHO Says Watch Out for Bird Flu Since 2013, H7N9 bird flu has infected 1,258 people, the CDC said. So 460 cases in just five months account for a third of all the cases over four years. Earlier this week the World Health Organization held a meeting on H7N9 and then issued public reassurances, saying the virus did not appear to have changed in a way that would make it more likely to spread to people or to make it more dangerous to people. “The surge in numbers of humanH7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern.” Instead, the changes make the virus more dangerous to birds — which could be a good thing. "These changes make the virus highly pathogenic in birds, meaning that it can cause some severe disease in birds," Dr. Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's global influenza program, told reporters. "Previously, H7N9 had only been observed to be 'low pathogenic' in birds, meaning the virus did not cause visible outbreaks of disease in birds," Zhang said. If an avian influenza virus kills birds, it's bad for poultry farmers but it can give a warning that the virus is spreading. The problem with H7N9 has been that it does not make poultry sick, so it can spread among flocks without people knowing it. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Can You Catch Bird Flu? 0:42 Uyeki is worried that H7N9 has become more widespread in China, spreading silently and infecting more people because it's infecting more birds. "You could have more cases of human infection even if the risk of poultry-to-human transmission has not changed," he said. China has been publishing genetic sequences of the H7N9 virus in public databases, but it has not been sharing actual samples of the virus, so it's not possible for U.S. labs to test the virus themselves to see whether it's changed and if so, whether it's more dangerous. But it's already dangerous. H7N9 is considered a moderate to high pandemic threat, although the CDC and WHO do not think an H7N9 pandemic is about to happen, or even that it is certain to happen. Related: CDC Issues H7N9 Travel Warning H7N9 is one of several strains of bird flu that officials are watching because they have the potential to cause a human pandemic. So far, H7N9 doesn't seem to infect people easily and people who are infected do not seem to spread it to others much. But influenza viruses change quickly and unpredictably, and if one starts passing easily from one person to another it could spread. “H7N9 viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk.” "From what we understand, there have been no real changes in the epidemiology or mortality of hospitalized H7N9 cases," Uyeki said. H7N9 can be deadly when people do get it. It kills more than 40 percent of people who get sick enough to go to the hospital. Related: H7N9 has cost billions "Early symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu and may include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue, loss of appetite, and runny or stuffy nose," CDC said. It often progresses to pneumonia. And hospitals or clinics treating people infected with H7N9 need to take precautions to make sure patients do not infect anyone else. "Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza A (H7N9) virus infection in people presenting with respiratory illness within 10 days of travel to China, particularly if the patient reports exposure to birds or poultry markets," the CDC says. The CDC and WHO are watching the spread of several bird flu viruses that are known to infect people, including H5N1 and H7N2. Related: Vet Catches Bird Flu From Cats "Although the current risk to the public's health from A(H7N9) viruses is low, among the 12 novel influenza A viruses evaluated ... A(H7N9) viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk," the CDC team said in the report released Friday. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-concerned-h7n9-bird-flu-s-sudden-spread-china-n728946

HEALTH MAR 3 2017, 5:56 PM ET CDC Concerned by H7N9 Bird Flu’s Sudden Spread in China by MAGGIE FOX SHARE Share Tweet Share Email Print A sudden surge in cases of H7N9 bird flu in China is a "cause for concern," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. It's infected 460 people just since October, the CDC said in a report. "It's by far the largest epidemic wave since 2013," said CDC flu expert Dr. Tim Uyeki. Health officials in protective suits put a goose into a sack as part of preventive measures against the H7N9 bird flu at a poultry market in Zhuji, Zhejiang province on Jan. 5, 2014. Reuters file The CDC has been working on a vaccine against H7N9 just in case it's ever needed and is starting work on a second one now because it's started to mutate. "It's a cause for concern, that's for sure," Uyeki told NBC News. "The surge in numbers of human H7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern." The CDC issued a travel notice in January, cautioning travelers to China to stay away from live bird markets. Uyeki said travelers do not need to avoid China but they should be aware that poultry can spread the virus. Related: WHO Says Watch Out for Bird Flu Since 2013, H7N9 bird flu has infected 1,258 people, the CDC said. So 460 cases in just five months account for a third of all the cases over four years. Earlier this week the World Health Organization held a meeting on H7N9 and then issued public reassurances, saying the virus did not appear to have changed in a way that would make it more likely to spread to people or to make it more dangerous to people. “The surge in numbers of humanH7N9 cases in China is definitely a concern.” Instead, the changes make the virus more dangerous to birds — which could be a good thing. "These changes make the virus highly pathogenic in birds, meaning that it can cause some severe disease in birds," Dr. Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's global influenza program, told reporters. "Previously, H7N9 had only been observed to be 'low pathogenic' in birds, meaning the virus did not cause visible outbreaks of disease in birds," Zhang said. If an avian influenza virus kills birds, it's bad for poultry farmers but it can give a warning that the virus is spreading. The problem with H7N9 has been that it does not make poultry sick, so it can spread among flocks without people knowing it. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Can You Catch Bird Flu? 0:42 Uyeki is worried that H7N9 has become more widespread in China, spreading silently and infecting more people because it's infecting more birds. "You could have more cases of human infection even if the risk of poultry-to-human transmission has not changed," he said. China has been publishing genetic sequences of the H7N9 virus in public databases, but it has not been sharing actual samples of the virus, so it's not possible for U.S. labs to test the virus themselves to see whether it's changed and if so, whether it's more dangerous. But it's already dangerous. H7N9 is considered a moderate to high pandemic threat, although the CDC and WHO do not think an H7N9 pandemic is about to happen, or even that it is certain to happen. Related: CDC Issues H7N9 Travel Warning H7N9 is one of several strains of bird flu that officials are watching because they have the potential to cause a human pandemic. So far, H7N9 doesn't seem to infect people easily and people who are infected do not seem to spread it to others much. But influenza viruses change quickly and unpredictably, and if one starts passing easily from one person to another it could spread. “H7N9 viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk.” "From what we understand, there have been no real changes in the epidemiology or mortality of hospitalized H7N9 cases," Uyeki said. H7N9 can be deadly when people do get it. It kills more than 40 percent of people who get sick enough to go to the hospital. Related: H7N9 has cost billions "Early symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu and may include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue, loss of appetite, and runny or stuffy nose," CDC said. It often progresses to pneumonia. And hospitals or clinics treating people infected with H7N9 need to take precautions to make sure patients do not infect anyone else. "Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza A (H7N9) virus infection in people presenting with respiratory illness within 10 days of travel to China, particularly if the patient reports exposure to birds or poultry markets," the CDC says. The CDC and WHO are watching the spread of several bird flu viruses that are known to infect people, including H5N1 and H7N2. Related: Vet Catches Bird Flu From Cats "Although the current risk to the public's health from A(H7N9) viruses is low, among the 12 novel influenza A viruses evaluated ... A(H7N9) viruses have the highest risk score and are characterized as posing moder­ate-high potential pandemic risk," the CDC team said in the report released Friday. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-concerned-h7n9-bird-flu-s-sudden-spread-china-n728946