In late February, the first case of a new bird flu hit China. This bird flu is named H7N9, and has since infected 71 people and killed 16. The United States have begun creating a vaccine just in case it will be needed in the near or far future. So far this flu has been localized in eastern China and has not spread to any other parts of the world. The cause is believed to be from an avian reservoir but the exact reservoir has not yet been located. H7N9 was thought to only be transmittable to birds, most commonly chickens until multiple deaths were recorded from the disease.

The fact that the disease has been discovered in humans is only one factor worrying officials. The other factor is that a four-year old boy that carries the  disease in China shows no symptoms, making detection more difficult. Birds that also carry the disease are seen with no symptoms as well creating the question “How will we know if the disease spreads?”. Thankfully, officials do not believe that it is yet transmittable through humans. The keyword there is “yet”. Many believe that the virus might have the capability to mutate, allowing itself to be transmitted from human to human. This is a probable possibility since the virus has been able to switch the species that it infects, which is an automatic red flag. Will this flu be the next major worldwide outbreak since the swine flu in 2009?

To take a look at a map of outbreaks across the world at this very moment, click here.