First human bird flu case in Beijing as virus spreads across main cities
The first human bird flu case has been found in Beijing amid reports that 30% of live poultry markets in Zhejiang are now contaminated with the H7N9 bird flu virus. Chinese authorities have shut all markets across the province and issued urgent warnings regarding the virus to residents in Guangzhou, a major port and transportation hub. More than 130 confirmed cases of human infection reported, including 21 of 49 people dying last month ­in Jiangsu after contracting the H7N9 strain.

In this file photo from April 2013, a staff member with Beijing’s disease-control authority dons a protective suit. At least 130 cases of human infection have been reported across the Chinese mainland this year. Photo: AFP