Human infection with H7N9 avian influenza via close contact with wardmates in Hefei city:a case study

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of a case of H7N9 virus infection via close contact in ward of a hospital in Hefei city of Anhui province and to provide evidences for formulating prevention and control measures of human H7N9 virus infection.Methods An epidemiological survey on a close contactee of a confirmed H7N9 virus infection patient in a hospital in Hefei city was carried out.Sputum and blood specimens of the contacteee were collected for the detection of H7N9 virus nucleic acid with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)method.Results A male patient (aged 62 years and being a farmer without obvious history of exposure to poultries)was admitted in a hospital for the treatment of nephrotic syndrome and acute upper respiratory tract infection on December 16,2016.During the hospitalization,the patient experienced a close contact with a wardmate on December 18;later on,the wardmate was diagnosed with H7N9 virus infection and died on December 20.Then,the patient had a fever (37.7℃),pharyngalgia,nasal congestion,and occasional cough on December 21 and was detected as positive to nucleic acid of the same homologous H7N9 virus to that of the H7N9 virus infection case (the wardmate) on December 22.No symptoms of H7N9 virus infection were observed among other close contactees of the died wardmate afterwards.Conclusion The case of H7N9 virus infection may be considered as a human to human transmission due to secondary infection in hospital but the transmission was limited and not sustained.