From last September to Feb. 1, 44 H7N9 human cases, including 10 deaths, have been reported in the Chinese mainland, 70 cases fewer than the same period of the previous year, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Tuesday.
An expert with the commission said the decrease of reported cases has been related to the country's tougher supervision over live poultry markets.
Five human cases of H5N6 were reported nationwide, with two patients dead, over the same period.
Official data shows, as of Jan. 24, China has reported nine cases of human infection of H5N6 avian influenza virus with five deaths, since the first case was discovered in 2014.
Scientists have not found any mutation of H7N9 and H5N6 virus that poses threats to public health so far, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).
There's no evidence of human-to-human transmission in the spread of the viruses, said Ni Daxin, deputy head of the Office of Disease Control and Emergency Response under the China CDC.
Winter and spring are the peak seasons for respiratory infectious diseases, making clusters of H7N9 and H5N6 human cases more likely in some areas on the mainland, Ni said.
