The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that an international team of eight flu experts, including four from the WHO, is coming to China to help with the investigation into the deadly H7N9 virus.

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No exact date has been set yet for the arrival of the team but WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the team will be going to China in response to a request from Chinese health authorities, as the country confirms 63 H7N9 cases, with 14 deaths.

The team, which will look at the situation on the ground and try to get a bit more understanding of the behavior of the virus, will be made up by America, European, Australian, and Chinese experts, WHO said.

On Tuesday, Shanghai officials have described the N7N9 bird flu situation as "stable" after no new cases were reported the whole day, based on reports from influenza monitoring stations at 27 hospitals.

The city, one of China's most important international business hubs, leads the country with nine deaths since the spread of the disease accelerated in the past several days.

Shanghai has killed about 85,000 poultry at 11 designated slaughterhouses, the Shanghai Agricultural Commission said. More than 2,100 samples were tested but all were negative for the bird flu strain. Quarantine checks were also carried out at 95 poultry farms, six wholesale markets, 16 supermarkets with cold stores and 30 other related companies. 

Shanghai has now reported 24 H7N9 cases with nine deaths and 14 patients are still being treated in isolation. The cases included a young boy who has recovered from his infection. 

As of press time Tuesday, WHO has not updated its list of patients infected with the dreaded flu. On its website, the UN health agency identified the following H7N9 patients: a 64-year-old woman from Zhejiang who became ill on 6 April 2013; a 62-year-old woman from Zhejiang who became ill on 29 March 2013; a 75-year-old man from Zhejiang who became ill on 6 April 2013; a 79-year-old man from Zhejiang who became ill on 9 April 2013; a 73-year-old man from Shanghai who became ill on 5 April 2013; a 54-year-old man from Shanghai who became ill on 8 April 2013; a 78-year-old man from Shanghai who became ill on 4 April 2013; a 50-year-old man from Jiangsu who became ill on 1 April 2013; a 26-year-old man from Jiangsu who became ill on 8 April 2013.

"To date, there is limited information to determine whether the reported number of cases represents some or all of the cases actually occurring. As some relatively mild cases of illness have now been reported, it is possible that there are other such cases that have not been identified and reported," the WHO said on its website. 

Though the WHO dismisses the possibility of an epidemic, since it has not been confirmed that the virus is contagious among humans, experts fear the strain can mutate into a type that can be transmitted person to person.

Nonetheless, the health and family planning ministry insists on its web site that chicken and eggs can be eaten without fear if they are previously cooked.