BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Authorities in Chinese regions have ordered health institutions to step up monitoring of H7N9 bird flu after four more cases were reported Tuesday. So far there is no vaccine for this strain of the virus. Yuan Yifang has the details.

Two deaths in Shanghai from the H7N9 bird flu are first cases of human infection. An emergency plan went into effect there on Tuesday. It calls for daily reporting of statistics on pneumonia cases caused by unknown reasons.

The municipal government will set up an expert team to evaluate the severity and risk of the H7N9 bird flu. The infections and people who have been in contact with them will be closely watched. The Shanghai Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center has tested 34 samples of pig carcasses pulled from the Huangpu River. No bird flu virus was found.

The health bureau in Beijing has ordered hospitals to include the testing for H7N9 in routine monitoring. Hospitals in the capital have started to train their staff in treating pneumonia caused by unknown factors.

The public is being advised to avoid contact with poultry, to wash their hands and keep their homes well-ventilated. Chicken and eggs should be completely cooked.

There is no vaccine against the H7N9 virus. Experts say it will take time to develop, as the source of the virus is still unknown.

(Source: cntv.com)