(ECNS) -- As more human bird flu cases are reported across China, many regions have been hit by rumors alleging fatalities after eating chicken.
A total of 192 human H7N9 avian flu cases, including 79 fatalities, were reported on the Chinese mainland in January, up from 106 and 20 respectively in December, according to National Health and Family Planning Commission.
After the Lunar New Year holiday, a rumor went viral saying a man in Ruichang City of Jiangxi Province died after eating a popular chicken dish, with the doctor who treated him placed in isolation to prevent spreading of the disease.
Similar rumors, with variations in locations, have also spread in Dezhou of Shandong Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region despite governmental denial.
The commission said contact with infected poultry and exposure to live poultry markets are still the main cause of the disease.
Experts say there is no proof to show the H7N9 virus can spread from human to human or that people can be infected by eating fully cooked food.
Ni Daxin, deputy director of emergency response at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said no major viral mutations have been identified in the new outbreak of H7N9.
H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in China during March 2013. Infections usually occur in winter and spring.
