Health officials in protective suits put a goose into a sack as part of preventive measures against the H7N9 bird flu at a poultry market in Zhuji, Zhejiang province Jan. 5, 2014.
Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Wednesday each confirmed a new case of H7N9 bird flu, reports the South China Morning Post, leading Hong Kong officials to demand more stringent regulations for poultry imported from the mainland.
A 51-year-old Chinese woman apparently contracted the disease in the Foshan, a city of 7.2 million people in Guangdong, while a 65-year-old Hong Kong resident is currently in critical condition after briefly visiting the neighboring Chinese city of Shenzhen on Jan. 1.
Two other cases of bird flu have been reported in Hong Kong in past week, the sufferers also falling ill after visits to Shenzhen. One of the cases was fatal. There have been seven other cases of bird flu in cities near Hong Kong along with three cases in Yangjiang, west of Macau.
[SCMP]