H7N9 Confirmed In Taiwan

The SCMP reports that “Taiwan on Wednesday reported the first case of the H7N9 bird flu outside of mainland China. The case involves a 53-year-old man, who had been working in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. He showed flu symptoms three days after returning to Taiwan via Shanghai, the Centres for Disease Control said, adding that he had been hospitalised since April 16 and was in a critical condition.” Considering the lack of transparency of the Chinese government one can only guess, literally, at what the true morbidity and mortality statistics of the flu epidemic are, which is perhaps the main reason this ongoing story for the past two months has so far evaded major coverage. However, as more and more cases are reported outside of China, the world will have no choice but to start paying attention, especially with the WHO announced that “This is one of the most lethal influenza viruses we have seen so far.“