Investigation on exposure risk for human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) among urban residents in Xi'an,Shaanxi

Objective To understand the exposure risk of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) among urban residents in Xi'an, Shaanxi. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban areas of Xi'an. Participants were selected by multistage sampling. We collected information on human exposure to poultry, related knowledge of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) and treatment after influenza-like symptoms occurred. Results Among 624 participants investigated, 192(30.77%) purchased live poultry during the past year. 86(13.78%) touched directly live poultry or poultry cage. We estimated that the mean number of live poultry purchased per year was 1.1 among urban residents in Xi'an. The exposure frequency was 0.15 per person. The overall awareness rate of knowledge on influenza A(H7N9) was 70.38% (2 635/3 744). The awareness of "Early symptoms" was the lowest (60.90%). Among 75(12.02%) participants who had influenza-like symptoms, only 22(29.33%) choosed to see the doctor directly. Conclusions The urban residents in Xi'an had exposure risk of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) in certain degree. Health education for the residents should be strengthened.