The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (February 12) closely monitoring three additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

According to the notification of the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, a male patient aged 61 (in Guangzhou) died while another male patient aged 60 (in Shantou) is in critical condition and was hospitalised for management.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, the patient in Shanghai is a man aged 53 who was under treatment in critical condition.

To date, 568 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities, respectively in Guangdong (157 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).