ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS A SIGNAL OF WIDESPREAD DISEASE? H7N9 CARRIER CHILD SHOWS DISEASE COULD BE MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THOUGHT

 

photo : AFP

In what appears to be the first case of a healthy carrier of H7N9, Chinese authorities in Beijing have announced that they have their first asymptomatic case.  

This could be a tell tale sign that there are many more cases of the flu than previously thought, and that would also give scientists a better idea about the mortality rate, which so far has been very high. 

This child had become part of an observation group of the people that had been in contact with another child who was symptomatic.  This is how the Chinese authority came to realize that he was indeed, their first case of asymptomatic flu. It could also signal a much more widespread disease.

"With asymptomatic cases around, everything changes. There has been a spike in pneumonia cases that have drawn the health officials' attention, but the virus might have been going around as a normal cold." asserted prof Mackay of the university of Queensland in Brisbane.  

This finding also highlights the diligence observed by the Beijing authorities, who are not just relying on outward symptoms or questioning to determine if a person in contact has the disease, but is doing actual tracing through blood tests.  

Although a company is already gearing up to make a vaccine, chief executive officer Yin WEidong of Sinovac, says that the odds of an epidemic are becoming greater now.

However a panel of experts will meet in China this week to help with both the response and the study of the new strain.  Nancy Cox of the CDC, Anne Kelso, of the WHO, Malik Peiris chairman of virology at the university of Hong Kong, and Angus Nicoll, of the European  CDC.  

Source: Bloomberg 4.15.13