The ornithologist said the H7N9 virus was first found in turkeys in the US state of Minnesota in 1988 and was later found in turnstones, mallards, wild ducks and geese.

"But H7N9 is a new strain of virus that finished mutation and evolution before the epidemic appeared," he said. "Although the last finding of the virus in birds was in South Korea, there are no grounds to simply say the disease came from that country."

Now, as birds are migrating north, He and his colleagues at the academy are busy monitoring sentinel birds.

As it is rare for the virus to be directly transmitted from birds to humans, He said, there is no need to panic about culling birds.

Questions:

1. What has been linked to the outbreak of H7N9 infections?

2. Where did the first outbreak happen?

3. How did scientists make the connection to waterfowl?

Answers:

1. The migration of wild waterfowl.

2. In the Yangtze River Delta area.

3. The infection time and route coincided with the migration of water birds.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.

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