China has 102 bird flu cases, 20 dead

Beijing, April 22 (IANS) The bird flu has claimed 20 lives while causing 102 cases of the avian influenza --H7N9 -- in China, with six fresh cases being reported from coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu Sunday, Xinhua reported.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said in its daily update on H7N9 cases that a total of 102 H7N9 cases have been reported in the country, including 20 leading to death.

Of the total, 12 H7N9 patients have been discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment, and the other 70 patients are being treated in designated hospitals, it said.

A total of 33 cases, including 11 that have ended in death, have been reported from Shanghai alone

China officially confirmed the human cases infected with the H7N9 virus late last month.

According to the commission, China's confirmed H7N9 cases are isolated and there has been no sign of human-to-human transmission.