ALARM

Human Bird Flu Cases Rise in China

U.S. health officials are concerned it could spread from human to human.

Human cases of the bird flu are on the rise in China, causing concern among U.S. health officials who say the virus could become a pandemic if it can spread from person to person. At least 460 bird flu (H7N9) cases have been reported in China since October, and one third of those infected have died, according to the World Health Organization. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently developing a vaccine to combat the virus. “This is the virus we were concerned about in 2013, and now we’re seeing these increasing number of cases,” said Daniel Jernigan, the head of the CDC’s influenza division. “This year it came back much stronger, so the number of cases we’re seeing has already surpassed all the other waves, and the season isn’t even over yet.”