A Suspected Person-to-person Transmission of Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Case in Ward

Since throat swab specimens obtained from three adult Chinese patients were confirmed as an avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus by local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013,[1] many confirmed cases have been reported in Mainland of China. Although family and hospital clusters with confirmed or suspected avian H7N9 virus infection were previously reported and person-to-person transmission was put forward, human infection of H7N9 appears to be associated with exposure to infected live poultry or contaminated environments [2] and no clear evidence has proved that it could transmit from person to person. Here, we report a case confirmed with H7N9 after intimately contact with his H7N9 ward mate, it may be the first case infected between ward mates in a ward, so we report it here.