China Bird Flu: New H7N9 Strain Causes Fourth Death

BEIJING — A middle-aged man who transported poultry for a living and another unidentified person have died from a new strain of bird flu, bringing the death toll to five among 14 confirmed cases in China, the government and state media reported Thursday.

The 48-year-old man, who died in Shanghai, is one of several among the infected believed to have had direct contact with fowl. Until recently, the virus, called H7N9, was not known to infect humans.

What I’m waiting for is some data on infection and mortality rates.

Is it just acquired from fowl, or can it be transmitted human to human?

By the way…you are prepared to ride out a major pandemic, aren’t you?

I know, I know. Crazy talk.