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You’ve probably heard the scary news: A new strain of bird flu, known as avian influenza A (H7N9), has been identified in China. Twenty-eight people have been infected and nine have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Full disclosure: The CDC issued a health advisory on Friday to inform clinicians what they should do in terms of testing, infection control, and care if they suspect that someone returning from a trip to China may have the virus. The CDC is also working with vaccine manufacturers to develop a virus seed strain that could be used to produce a vaccine if necessary—as in, if there were evidence of human-to-human transmission.
It sounds scary, but before you call your doctor in a panic because you feel a cough coming on, know this: The CDC says it’s just taking these measures to dot all of its I’s and cross all of its T’s. No travel advisories are currently in effect, and right now there’s no evidence that you can get H7N9 from another person, says CDC press officer Jamila Jones. Direct contact with live poultry in China appears to be the greatest risk factor right now—there haven’t been any cases of the virus strain reported in the U.S., or even outside of China. So assuming you live in America and haven’t interacted with any chicken in China recently, you don’t have to change anything about your normal routine.
Flu viruses do constantly change, so it’s possible that this virus could become more transmissible, according to the CDC. Officials there say they’ll continue to monitor the situation and give updates as needed.
For now, though, you have no reason to worry: “There are no specific steps that people in this country need to take to protect themselves,” said Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the CDC, in a telebriefing on Friday. “People can go about their daily lives.” While the numbers of cases and deaths have both risen since the telebriefing—at that time, there were 16 cases and six deaths—the CDC is still offering the same guidance: “Right now we’re still not recommending anything different,” says Jones. The same goes for people in the U.S. who work with poultry: At this time, Jones says you shouldn’t be concerned—and the CDC will send out more information if that should change.
The verdict: Pay attention to updates, but there’s definitely no need to freak out.
More from Women’s Health:
How Long Should a Cough Last?
Flu-Catching Myths
Cold or Flu: Can You Tell?