BEIJING: A new case of bird flu in China's capital, a 4-year-old boy who displayed no symptoms, is adding to the unknowns about the latest outbreak that has caused 63 confirmed cases and 14 deaths, health officials said today. The boy, who tested positive for the H7N9, is considered a carrier of the strain and has been
placed under observation to see if he develops symptoms.Medical teams found the boy in a check of people who had contact with a 7-year-old girl, who was confirmed as Beijing's first case of H7N9 over the weekend: A neighbor of the boy bought chicken from the girl's family.
Beijing Health Bureau deputy director Zhong Dongpo said the boy adds another data point to medical experts limited understanding of H7N9. "This is very meaningful because it shows that the disease caused by this virus has a wide scope. There can also be slight cases, and even those who don't feel any abnormality at all. So we need to understand this disease in a rational and scientific way," Zhong said.
The H7N9 strain was not previously known to infect humans before cases turned up in China this winter, and Zhong and other experts said no proof exists that the virus can be passed from one person to another.
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