South China province reports two H7N9 human cases

Two more human cases of H7N9 bird flu were reported in south China's Guangdong Province, local health authorities said Monday.

A 52-year-old man from Jieyang City and a 20-year-old woman in Shanwei City were confirmed infected on Sunday and have been hospitalized. The man is in critical condition and the woman in serious condition, the provincial health and family planning commission said in a statement.

The two cases have raised the province's H7N9 tally to 21 since the start of this year.

A series of human infection reports have led to the culling of thousands of chickens in Guangdong and its neighboring Hong Kong this year. Most bird flu cases in humans come from exposure to infected poultry.

Several cities have also taken measures to restrict live poultry trade to curb the spread of the disease, raising concerns about the impact on the industry.

In addition to Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian and Zhejiang along the eastern Chinese coast have all reported human cases of H7N9 this winter.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013. With symptoms including fever, cough and respiratory failure, it has repeatedly cropped up in winter and spring seasons.