The death toll in the deadly bird flu outbreak in China mounted to 13 with two more fatalities on Sunday, while the total number of H7N9 cases touched 60 with 11 more reported — the highest in a single day.

Shanghai, China’s largest metropolis and financial hub, was the worst-hit — reporting two more deaths from H7N9 bird flu beside three new cases of infection.

Jagadish Pandey, Chief of the District Livestock Office Jhapa, said bird flu was confirmed at Mechinagar, Chandragadhi and Kumarkhod in Jhapa.

At least two peacocks died in a remote village of Tharparkar district on Monday, sources told Dawn.

The peacocks, they said, were found dead in Sangelo village in Diplo taluka.

China reported three more H7N9 infections on Sunday, bringing total number of the confirmed cases to 21 as the country is gearing up to fight the disease that has left six dead.

A strain of bird flu that has been found in humans for the first time in eastern China is not a cause for panic, the World Health Organization said on Monday, as the number of people infected rose

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research on Sunday reported the first bird flu death in five years after the human infection of H5N1 virus had been detected in the country.

What are the different types of influenza viruses?
There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B and C. Virus A and B cause seasonal flu while C is typically associated with mild illness in children and young adults.

Influenza B and C virus have limited genetic diversity as both are restricted to a single specie each. Influenza type A virus has several sub-species. These species are classified on the basis of different combinations of hemaglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) — the proteins on its surface. For instance the H1N1 is an A type influenza virus that has an HA1 and an NA1 protein. Except H17N10, all known subtypes of influenza A virus can infect birds. The H17N10 virus is found in bats.

Scientists taking a first look at the genetics of the bird flu strain that has struck China said on Wednesday the virus could be harder to track than its better-known cousin H5N1 because it might b

China has found two more cases of a new strain of bird flu and one of the victims has died, state media said on Wednesday, bringing to nine the number of cases.

Four people in East China's Jiangsu province have been confirmed as being infected with the lesser-known H7N9 bird flu, local authorities said Tuesday.