2 more H7N9 cases in south China's Guangdong

The number of H7N9 human cases in south China's Guangdong Province reached 32 since the start of the year with two more cases reported, local health authorities said Tuesday.

A 56-year-old man in Guangzhou was confirmed infected of the bird flu on Monday, the first case in the provincial capital this year, the provincial health and family planning commission said in a statement. It added that the man is in critical condition.

Meanwhile, a 9-month-old girl from the city of Zhongshan was also confirmed infected on Monday. She is in stable condition after medical treatment, the statement said.

Health experts have warned that Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, has entered the high-incidence period for bird flu, which usually crops up in winter and spring seasons.

A series of human infection reports and the belief that most cases come from exposure to infected poultry have led to the culling of thousands of chickens in Guangdong and Hong Kong this year.

Several cities in Guangdong have also taken measures to restrict live poultry trade to curb the spread of the disease, raising concerns about the impact on the industry.

In addition to Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi and Zhejiang in east China have all reported human cases of H7N9 this winter.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013.