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In China, a novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus was identified in three patients who died from severe pneumonia earlier this year (JW Infect Dis Apr 24 2013); as of May 9, 2013, 131 cases of such infection had been laboratory confirmed. Investigators recently reviewed the clinical features and outcomes of 111 of these patients.
Sixty-nine percent of the patients were male. Ages ranged from 3 to 88 years (median, 61). Sixty-one percent had at least one comorbid condition — most commonly, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The incubation period was 5 days (interquartile range, 2–8) for individuals who had a definite date of live-poultry exposure. All patients had fever and…