"This study will provide a new perspective to H7N9 pathology and potential treatment for future cases," said Ed Gerstner, executive editor of Nature Communications.

The study was led by researchers of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

They collected plasma from 47 H7N9 patients in cities of Hangzhou, Shanghai and Nanjing and analyzed the correlation between angiotensin II and viral load.

H7N9 was first reported in China in March 2013. The virus causes severe disease in humans, including acute and often lethal respiratory failure.The country has reported more than 200 human H7N9 cases.