A new strain of bird flu in China has reached Beijing and a central province, spreading beyond the eastern region around Shanghai where it was first detected.
By Sunday night, there had been 60 confirmed human infections with the H7N9 avian influenza virus, two weeks after it was publicly identified by Chinese health authorities. The 11 cases reported on Sunday was the biggest daily tally yet.
Among the cases reported over the weekend were two men in Henan province and a girl, 7, in Beijing – the first infection in the capital city. One of the men was reported to be in critical condition, but the other two people were stable, according to the official Xinhua news agency.