One more H7N9 case reported in Guangdong

GUANGZHOU -- One more H7N9 human case was reported in south China's Guangdong Province, making the total number to 54, local health authorities said on Saturday.

A 48-year-old woman from Jinping District in Shantou City was diagnosed with the disease on Friday. She was hospitalized but in critical situation, the provincial health and family planning commission said in a press release.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013. It is most likely to strike in winter and spring.

To prevent the epidemic from spreading fast, the provincial government has banned live poultry trade at all markets from Feb. 19 to 28, the first 10 days of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Human cases of H7N9 have been reported this winter in several other Chinese localities including Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Zhejiang.