中国东部省份江苏省已确诊出现四例H7N9禽流感病例，针对此罕见致命病毒，中国已在全国范围内开展监测行动。

Four more people in East China have been confirmed to be infected with the H7N9 bird fluvirus, as a nationwide screening program has been launched for the rare but lethal strain.

江苏省卫生局通报称，这四名病患分别生活在不同城市，大约在3月20日前后出现发热、咳嗽等症状，目前病情危重。在周二下午他们被确诊感染H7N9禽流感。

The health authority in Jiangsu province said four people living in different cities are in critical condition after they developed fever, coughing and other symptoms around March 20. They tested positive for H7N9 on Tuesday afternoon.

两名上海男性上周日死于H7N9禽流感，年龄分别为27岁、87岁，一名安徽女性情况危急，目前全国共确诊7例H7N9病例。

Two men from Shanghai, aged 27 and 87, were confirmed dead on Sunday from H7N9 infection, with a woman from Anhui province in critical condition.

与江苏省四名病例密切接触过的上百人尚未发现有发热或呼吸道症状。

Hundreds of people who have had close contact with the patients have not, as yet, developed fever or respiratory symptoms.

中国疾控中心卫生应急中心主任冯子健表示，由于感染原因尚不可知，相关机构已在全国范围内开展肺炎患者跟踪计划，监控H7N9禽流感病毒。

Feng Zijian, director of emergency response at the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention andControl, said the country has launched a nationwide program to screen for H7N9 among patients with pneumonia, where the cause is unknown.

这一计划得到了包括医院在内的公共卫生组织监测系统的支持，目的在于及时发现新病例。

The program, supported by surveillance systems at public health institutions including hospitals, is aimed at timely detection of new cases.

冯子健表示，为了确定病毒根源，将调查现有病例的身份背景和生活环境。他还补充说道，“病毒来源于猪还是其他动物尚不可知。”

To determine the source of the virus, the identities, background and living conditions of existing patients will be investigated, Feng said. “It’s unclear if the virus originated in pigs or other animals,” he added.

江苏省指定16家三级甲级医院作为该省H7N9禽流感确诊病例定点收治医院，同时，组织各级医院加强对肺炎病例的监测。

Sixteen top-level hospitals in Jiangsu have been designated as treatment sites for patients confirmed to have the virus, and all levels of hospitals are required to strengthen the screening of pneumonia patients against H7N9.

其他城市包括上海、北京等，均制定应急方案来应对这一未知禽流感的大范围爆发。

Other cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, have put forward plans to deal with emergencies or large-scale outbreaks caused by the relatively unknown strain of bird flu.

上海市政府周二启动流感流行三级应急预案，拉响禽流感黄色预警。

Shanghai authorities on Tuesday launched a yellow warning third-level emergency in response to the new strain.

专家称由于研发人员需要对病毒有全面了解，疫苗研制将花费一定时间。

Experts say the manufacture of a vaccine will take some time, as researchers will need athorough understanding of the virus.

官方称地方市场上流通的家禽和猪肉是安全的，但建议市民千万不要食用野生家禽。

Officials said poultry and pork for sale at local markets are safe, but people are urged not to eat wild poultry.

上海市政府周二重申，从居民饮用水源河流中打捞的死猪样本中没有发现禽流感病毒。

On Tuesday, Shanghai authorities reiterated that no bird flu virus had been found in dead pig samples from a river providing drinking water to residents.

北京和广州地区的公共卫生组织声明，他们将紧密监测H7N9禽流感病毒。

In Beijing and Guangdong province, public health authorities said they are keeping a close eye on the H7N9 virus.

这是人类首次感染H7N9禽流感，虽然之前H7亚型禽流感病毒（H7N2、H7N3、H7N7）已有人类感染病例发生，但并未出现死亡病例。

It is the first time the H7N9 bird flu virus has been found in humans, although three other strainsin the H7 family — H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7 — have previously been found in humans, but therewere no casualties.