Hospital says fatal case of H7N9 not human-to-human   

上海医生确诊H7N9禽流感 人传人说法缺乏依据

记者从上海浦东新区人民医院了解到，该院外科张晓东医生被确诊为人感染H7N9禽流感确诊病例。这是今年我国首位医生被确诊患上H7N9禽流感。昨日记者第一时间采访了张晓东的所在医院，得到确认：该院没有接诊过禽流感患者，他不是人传人感染的。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- A hospital in Shanghai where a doctor died from H7N9 avian flu has denied that it was caused by human-to-human contamination, according to media reports.

Zhang Xiaodong, 31, a surgeon at the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, died on Jan 18, the first medical worker killed by H7N9 bird flu.

In an interview, the hospital denied that Zhang had been infected by other H7N9 patients, as no such case had been reported before in the hospital, according to the Qianjiang Evening News.

A hospital official identified only as Gao told China National Radio that Zhang, who had worked in the emergency room, showed symptoms of a cold and was put on a drip.

But due to a shortage of medical staff, Zhang insisted on working, Gao added.

The Qianjiang Evening News cited the head assistant of the hospital, Sheng Chang, as saying that Zhang was sent to the hospital by his family early in the morning on Jan 17, and was soon transferred to the ICU.

Lu Hongzhou, vice director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, who helped treat Zhang, said he suspected it was an H7N9 virus infection, even though he'd been told the virus had not been detected.

After Zhang died of pneumonia and respiratory failure, a new test showed that Zhang was infected with the virus. Lu added that Zhang's weight and the delay in treatment were factors that caused the respiratory failure.

Lu also said he asked Zhang's family repeatedly whether Zhang had had contact with poultry, and the answer was "no."

Gao said it is up to the local center for disease control to find the source of the infection.

Gao added that the hospital has distributed medicine to its staff. Reporters also found that all the staff in the hospital, including security guards and nurses, wore masks.

A news program on CCTV reported that Zhang was at his parents' home on Jan 4. Possible points of contact with birds include a neighbor who raises pigeons and a vegetable and poultry market diagonally opposite the hospital.

Zheng Shusen, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, called for the public not to panic, as there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.