H7N9 vaccine may hit market in May

BEIJING - Vaccines for H7N9 bird flu could hit the market as early as May, a Chinese expert on infectious disease said Friday.

The vaccine is currently being submitted to drug control authorities for tests, said Li Lanjuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"If everything goes smoothly, we could have the vaccine on the market within one to two months," said Li, who is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

According to official statistics, H7N9 has infected more than 120 people in China and killed at least 36 of them so far this year.

The latest victim is a 75-year-old man who died Saturday in Guangzhou. A test conducted Monday found the man had been infected with the virus.

Li said there has not been any substantial evidence for consistent human-to-human infection of H7N9, adding that poultry markets remained the primary source of infection.