Taiwan has issued a level-2 travel alert for China’s Guandong and Zhejiang provinces. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s announcement on Saturday came after the provinces each reported a new human case of H7N9 avian flu. The two patients have been hospitalized.
A level-2 travel alert means that travelers should maintain a high degree of caution and take strong protective measures. Early-stage H7N9 flu symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, sore throat and cough. In some cases, patients will develop more serious symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. The CDC cautioned people traveling to China to avoid direct contact with birds or poultry, avoid eating uncooked meat and eggs or feeding wild birds. It also advised people to wash their hands frequently and see a doctor immediately if they develop a fever and cough.
The CDC said H7N9 avian flu is mainly passed from birds to humans, but limited human-to-human transmission is possible.
Apart from Guandong and Zhejiang provinces, Jiangsu and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are also on the level-2 travel advisory list.