Avian flu is the fatal herpes simplex B of China’s national health: a stubborn infection that keeps breaking out on the majestic face of the land.

The Center for Infectious Disease and Policy reports that there have been four new cases of avian flu that have been positively identified by authorities in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. These include:

• An 81-year-old Guangzhou woman surnamed He, now living in its Liwan District, positively identified on April 8.
• A 37-year-old Shantou man surnamed Liu, now living in its Jinping District, positively identified on April 9.
• A 71-year-old Heyuan woman surnamed Gu, now living in its Yuancheng District, positively diagnosed on April 9.
• An 82 year-old woman from Guangzhou surnamed Zhou, currently a Hong Kong resident. Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection stated that Zhou first contracted the H7N9 virus on April 7 in Guangzhou. Zhou was stopped when she tried to enter Hong Kong by car with two family members on Apr 8, and later positively diagnosed with avian flu.

All patients are hospitalized and are in critical or stable condition. This list of avian flu cases is in addition to the case that was positively diagnosed on April 1.

These four new cases add to a national total of 418 cases of avian flu as reported by FluTrackers, an international charity that tracks infectious diseases. 136 of these cases occurred during the first wave of the outbreak in the spring of 2013, while 282 cases have occurred during the current second wave.

An unofficial count of fatalities is now totaled at 126.

Photo: 81.net