Warning: 'Pandemic' possible with H7N9 bird flu virus

A study published by a prestigious international medical journal has warned that mutations in the bird flu H7N9 virus could lead to a "pandemic" that could cause sickness and death around the world.

The study, led by Yu Hongjie and fellow researchers at Fudan University's Public Health Institute in Shanghai, is based on information from all lab-confirmed human cases of H7N9 reported in the Chinese mainland as of late February.

The findings were published in Lancet Infectious Diseases this month.

A surge in human infections with the latest outbreak in China has prompted pandemic concerns. The study aimed to describe the epidemiological traits of the virus and to estimate the risks, according to Yu.

In the study, virus samples collected in February from two human cases in Guangdong province were confirmed to have the mutation that made the virus capable of causing sickness and death in infected poultry as well.

Medical staff at Tangdu Hospital in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, give flowers to a man surnamed Guo, who recovered from bird flu after being treated at the hospital. The hospital is affiliated with the Fourth Military Medical University. [Photo/China Daily]