As many as 79 people have died from H7N9 bird flu in China last month, the government said, far surpassing the number of deaths in the same month in recent years and stoking worries about the spread of the virus this winter.
Authorities have warned the public to stay alert for H7N9 avian flu, especially during the winter and spring, and cautioned against panic in the world's second-largest economy.
January's fatalities bring the total death toll from the H7N9 strain to 100 people since October.