The latest strain of the bird flu virus has caused three deaths in China since being discovered in humans, but health experts warn it's too soon to be alarmed.
WHAT IS THE VIRUS?
A version of the influenza virus that usually circulates in birds however has recently been discovered in humans. Seven cases have so far been reported in China, with three of those cases being fatal.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Experts believe the H7N9 mutated to a form that makes it easier to infect humans.
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WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS?
Patients who have presented with this infection so far have developed severe pneumonia, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Associated side effects include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
HOW DEADLY IS IT?
Although the virus has claimed at least three known fatalities in China, scientists believe the virus has not been transmitted between humans, lowering the chances of it spreading quickly.
In known cases, the virus is believed to have been transmitted where humans had come into contact with animals, although the virus itself has not been found in animals.
World Health Organisation spokesman Gregory Hartl has said that although more cases of human infection are likely, health officials did not expect a pandemic.
“We have no evidence so far of human-to-human transmission, and without human-to-human transmission, the likelihood or risk of pandemic is low.”
