In early June, a live bird market in Hong Kong turned up positive for the H7N9 influenza virus, shuttering the market and triggering the destruction of thousands of birds. In April, another worrying signal from the region—a suspected cluster of human cases from eastern China, hinting at possible human to human spread, a pre-condition for pandemic emergence. Authorities are closely watching this virus, wary of the experience from 2009 when an H1N1 virus turned up in Mexico, and within six months, had achieved near global distribution as the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century.
An Influenza Pandemic Is Brewing. Could We Pre-empt It?
