Health officials in Fujian's Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, China's first experimental opening-to-Taiwan zone, asked around 300 medical personnel from nearby villages to join a group study activity concerning H7N9 bird flu prevention, on April 17, where doctors and scientists discussed a range of H7N9-realted areas, including sources of infection, transmission patterns, and groups at risk, as well as detailed information on virus prevention.

Zeng Li, of the village of Dongxiang's health center, commented, "Previously, we could only get disease prevention information through the Internet and television, but, today we've had accesses to real, useful information ." Zeng went on to say that Dongxiang has come up with an emergency plan for H7N9 virus threats and, "Any person who has a fever for more than two days will be sent to a designated hospital in Pingtan county."

By Wednesday night, a total of 82 H7N9 cases had been reported in China, 17 of which ended in the death of the patient. No H7N9 case has been reported in Fujian province so far.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Roger Bradshaw