After H7N9 bird flu was found at Shenzhen wet markets last week, two more people in the province were diagnosed with the virus over the past two days. Both are in a critical condition.

Shanghaiist reported yesterday that a Dongguan man was in a critical condition and being treated at Guangzhou Medical University’s First Affiliated Hospital. Then provincial health authorities announced last night that a 65 year-old woman in Yangjiang was confirmed to be the fourth case.

South China Morning Post has more:

Authorities said clinical experts had been sent to Yangjiang by the commission to provide medical guidance and conduct an epidemiological investigation.

A total of 142 human cases of H7N9 bird flu have been confirmed so far in China, including 51 cases in Zhejiang, 33 in Shanghai, 28 in Jiangsu and a handful of cases across Jiangxi, Fujian, Anhui, and Henan provinces.

Shandong, Hunan and Beijing have confirmed two cases H7N9 cases and a solitary case has been confirmed in Hebei.

Now is really the time for authorities to make sure public health is prioritised over business interests.