The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (February 20) closely monitoring an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC), and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

According to the GDHFPC, the patient was a 78-year-old man who lived in Meizhou. He passed away on February 19.

To date, 576 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities, respectively in Guangdong (165 cases), Zhejiang (156 cases), Jiangsu (70 cases), Fujian (58 cases), Shanghai (45 cases), Hunan (24 cases), Anhui (17 cases), Xinjiang (10 cases), Jiangxi (nine cases), Shandong (six cases), Beijing (five cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Jilin (two cases), Guizhou (one case) and Hebei (one case).