SHANGHAI
Five new cases of the deadly bird flu H7N9 were found in China yesterday, increasing the total in the country to 33.
Nine people have died so far due to the influenza.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission stated two people infected were each in east China's Shanghai City and Jiangsu Province, and one in neighboring Zhejiang Province.
China formally launched a research project on Wednesday for developing a vaccine for H7N9 which is stated to be ready in seven months.
Top Chinese lab stated the H7N9 avian influenza occurred due to genetic reassortment of wild birds from east Asia and chickens from east China.
According to the researchers, the genetic reassortment is likely to have occurred in east China's Yangtze River Delta areas covering Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu.
The researchers found that no genes in H7N9 were traceable to pigs as previously claimed.
H7N9 is less harmful to the animals than to humans because of viral mutation, researchers stated.
Animal experts and scientists began monitoring bird migration paths to prevent the H7N9 from spreading, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
