Beijing joins list of mainland cities reporting bird flu cases in humans

Beijing authorities have reported the city’s first human case of H7N9 bird flu infection as the mainland tries to contain pockets of outbreaks across the nation.

Several provinces have announced suspension of the live poultry trade, with Guangzhou officials warning nearly a third of its markets engaged in the business were contaminated with the virus.

At least 130 cases of human infection have been reported across the mainland this year. Dozens of people have died from the virus, including 21 in Jiangsu province and 11 in neighbouring Anhui, according to state media.

In Beijing, a 68-year-old man became the city’s first confirmed human case this year. He was in critical condition after seeking medical attention on January 29, according to the Beijing Evening News. The man, from Langfang in Hebei province, may have been in direct contact with poultry, but his close contacts have been cleared of the virus.

In Jiangsu, one of the hardest-hit provinces, 21 of 49 people ­infected with the H7N9 strain last month died, Xinhua quoted the provincial health and family planning commission as saying. In December, 14 of 54 people died from the virus.