( CNN ) -- The number of bird flu cases in China jumped Sunday to 102 , including 20 deaths , the World Health Organization announced . Seventy patients remain hospitalized with the virus . The WHO said there is still no evidence of human-to-human transmission . So far the virus has mainly affected eastern China , with 11 deaths and 33 infection cases reported in Shanghai , 24 cases , including three deaths , in Jiangsu Province , 38 cases , including five deaths , in Zhejiang Province , while Anhui Province has confirmed three cases , with one ending in death . Further afield , four people -- including one in Beijing in northern China and three in central Henan Province -- have tested positive for the H7N9 virus . The current strain of bird flu , H7N9 , was not detected in humans until last month . A team of international experts are currently in China conducting a week-long assessment of the virus , the WHO said on Friday . `` Right now it is still an animal virus that rarely infects humans , '' Dr. Michael O'Leary , the head of the WHO 's office in Beijing , told reporters . On Thursday , the central government suspended wild bird sales to try to prevent the spread of the virus , although many questions remain as to the source of infection . It follows a ban on live poultry trading in affected provinces . A large number of birds have also been slaughtered , state-run Xinhua said . O'Leary said there was legitimate reason for concern about the new virus , but suggested it was premature to begin mass culling of poultry . `` I eat chicken every day , '' O'Leary said with a laugh . `` Chicken is of no concern at all . '' Until March , the virus had only been present in birds , which is why they 've become the focus of the investigation . However , 40 % of patients with H7N9 had not come into contact with poultry , according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention . Authorities are continuing to monitor more than 1,000 people who have come into close contact with confirmed cases . CNN 's Miriam Falco and Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report .
The cases include 20 deaths , and 102 infection cases . Seventy people are hospitalized with the virus . The new strain was n't known until two weeks ago . International cooperation in order to monitor the H7N9 outbreak .