Global Concerns Regarding Novel Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Infections

Because the novel influenza A (H7N9) virus discovered in three critically ill patients in China has not previously been detected in humans or animals, there are many urgent questions and global public health concerns to be addressed. Severe disease in humans caused by a novel influenza A virus that is distinct from circulating human influenza A viruses is a seminal event. It might herald sporadic human infections from an animal source — e.g., highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus; or it might signal the start of an influenza pandemic — e.g., influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. Therefore, the discovery of novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infections in three critically ill patients reported in the Journal by Gao and colleagues (pages 1888–1897) is of major public health significance. Chinese scientists are to be congratulated for the apparent speed . . .