Avian flu claims more lives in China

The avian influenza epidemic has been gathering pace. Over the weekend, the disease has killed two people in Shanghai. According to local media, the number of deaths from mutated virus H7N9 has increased to 13, whereas the total number of infected people made up 60.

On Sunday, it was reported that new cases of the disease were registered in the central Chinese province of Henan. Prior to that, outbreaks of the disease were reported in Beijing, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiang. The most dangerous area was in Shanghai, where 24 cases were identified (nine of them ended with lethal outcomes).

In light of recent events, Russia's chief sanitary doctor urged to tighten control on the border between China and Russia.

Earlier it was reported that bird flu could not be transmitted from one person to another, and the source of the infection could only be a bird. However, according to most recent studies, there is a threat for a new strain to appear.