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Re: EGYPT - Jan 6, 2008+
Bird Flu Strikes Again in Egypt
By Metwalli Salem, Abdel Hakim al-Gendi, al-Sayed Abu Ali, Mahmoud al-Minshawi and Mohamed Farghali 9/1/2008
The H5N1 bird flu virus is once again active in a number of Egypt's provinces after remaining inactive for a relatively long period.
The circle of suspicious infections among humans has expanded with another four women from three provinces contracting the disease yesterday. Official reports also confirmed the emergence of 21 new bird flu hotbeds in different places within one week.
At the level of suspected human cases, two women suspected of being infected with bird flu were taken to the Sohag Fever Hospital after they came into contact with domestic birds. Blood samples were taken for examination and analysis at the Health Ministry's central labs.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry in Sohag Mohamed Abdel Aal said the two women are Yaman al-Sayed, a 29-year-old housewife, and Ehsan Ahmed Abdel Hafiz, 80 years, pointing out that all precautionary measures were taken in the areas surrounding the suspected cases.
In Fayoum, director of the Abbasiyah Chest Diseases Hospital Nagia al-Bataa referred a housewife to the Fever Hospital on suspicion of being infected with bird flu.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry in Fayoum Hussein Soufi Abu Taleb said that that lady is Awatef Abdel Razek, 30 years, from Fayoum and that she had developed symptoms similar to bird flu infection. "After she was taken to the Chest Hospital she was referred to Fayoum Fever Hospital where she was isolated from the rest of patients.
Her blood samples were sent to the Health Ministry's central labs in Cairo for examination," he said, pointing out that large numbers of birds that the lady was raising in her house have died.
Speaking to ?al-Masry al-Youm?, the governor emphasized that the results of the 400 blood samples from people and 6,000 from birds taken by the bird flu track-down campaign since its inception in November 2007 were all negative, indicating that 70 veterinary doctors have been contacted to join the campaign to cover all parts of the villages and hamlets. "The Directorate of Veterinary Medicine in Fayoum has vaccinated poultry in farms and houses during last summer," he added.
In Menoufia, Dr. Hisham Atta Youssef, Undersecretary of the Health Ministry, said that Hanan Ramadan Ali Abdel Razek Erida, a 25-year-old housewife from the al-Firouniya village in Ashmoun, was taken to the Fayoum Fever Hospital on suspicion of being infected with bird flu after she came into contact with domestic poultry.
He pointed out she underwent blood sampling and that the results would be sent to the concerned bodies so that they could go to her house to take the necessary preventive actions.
At the level of H5N1 infections among birds, reports of the General Authority for Veterinary Services confirmed the emergence of three new cases of bird flu disease, including two rural cases in Luxor and Gharbia and one case in a poultry farm in Gharbia over the past two days.
Meanwhile, the GAVS continued free immunization of rural birds in various provinces and tightening controls on poultry transfer between provinces in accordance with permits issued in this regard and the immediate closure of shops selling live birds in the markets.
The result of the intensive regular visits by the technical committees formed by the Agency for Control on poultry farms and birds raised in rural areas showed that 21 bird flu infection hotbeds have emerged since the beginning of January and until yesterday, Tuesday, 11 cases of which were in farms.
GAVS Chairman Hamid Samaha said that 5.6 million rural birds have already been immunized for free since the beginning of the national campaign to combat the disease early last month, in addition to the immediate immunization of all the surrounding villages without waiting for the National Campaign's program.
On the other hand, the Higher National Committee to Combat Bird Flu has praised the stringent measures taken by the Qalyubia province to combat the disease after the comprehensive survey conducted by three convoys to monitor farms.
The survey proved that infections concentrated in a single farm in Banha city. Infection was brought under control after culling all infection birds, while no human infections have emerged so far.
In the same context, security services in Cairo and Giza have cracked down on markets and live poultry shops to ensure that dealers are abiding by the poultry markets laws to limit the spread of bird flu.
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Bird Flu Strikes Again in Egypt
By Metwalli Salem, Abdel Hakim al-Gendi, al-Sayed Abu Ali, Mahmoud al-Minshawi and Mohamed Farghali 9/1/2008
The H5N1 bird flu virus is once again active in a number of Egypt's provinces after remaining inactive for a relatively long period.
The circle of suspicious infections among humans has expanded with another four women from three provinces contracting the disease yesterday. Official reports also confirmed the emergence of 21 new bird flu hotbeds in different places within one week.
At the level of suspected human cases, two women suspected of being infected with bird flu were taken to the Sohag Fever Hospital after they came into contact with domestic birds. Blood samples were taken for examination and analysis at the Health Ministry's central labs.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry in Sohag Mohamed Abdel Aal said the two women are Yaman al-Sayed, a 29-year-old housewife, and Ehsan Ahmed Abdel Hafiz, 80 years, pointing out that all precautionary measures were taken in the areas surrounding the suspected cases.
In Fayoum, director of the Abbasiyah Chest Diseases Hospital Nagia al-Bataa referred a housewife to the Fever Hospital on suspicion of being infected with bird flu.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry in Fayoum Hussein Soufi Abu Taleb said that that lady is Awatef Abdel Razek, 30 years, from Fayoum and that she had developed symptoms similar to bird flu infection. "After she was taken to the Chest Hospital she was referred to Fayoum Fever Hospital where she was isolated from the rest of patients.
Her blood samples were sent to the Health Ministry's central labs in Cairo for examination," he said, pointing out that large numbers of birds that the lady was raising in her house have died.
Speaking to ?al-Masry al-Youm?, the governor emphasized that the results of the 400 blood samples from people and 6,000 from birds taken by the bird flu track-down campaign since its inception in November 2007 were all negative, indicating that 70 veterinary doctors have been contacted to join the campaign to cover all parts of the villages and hamlets. "The Directorate of Veterinary Medicine in Fayoum has vaccinated poultry in farms and houses during last summer," he added.
In Menoufia, Dr. Hisham Atta Youssef, Undersecretary of the Health Ministry, said that Hanan Ramadan Ali Abdel Razek Erida, a 25-year-old housewife from the al-Firouniya village in Ashmoun, was taken to the Fayoum Fever Hospital on suspicion of being infected with bird flu after she came into contact with domestic poultry.
He pointed out she underwent blood sampling and that the results would be sent to the concerned bodies so that they could go to her house to take the necessary preventive actions.
At the level of H5N1 infections among birds, reports of the General Authority for Veterinary Services confirmed the emergence of three new cases of bird flu disease, including two rural cases in Luxor and Gharbia and one case in a poultry farm in Gharbia over the past two days.
Meanwhile, the GAVS continued free immunization of rural birds in various provinces and tightening controls on poultry transfer between provinces in accordance with permits issued in this regard and the immediate closure of shops selling live birds in the markets.
The result of the intensive regular visits by the technical committees formed by the Agency for Control on poultry farms and birds raised in rural areas showed that 21 bird flu infection hotbeds have emerged since the beginning of January and until yesterday, Tuesday, 11 cases of which were in farms.
GAVS Chairman Hamid Samaha said that 5.6 million rural birds have already been immunized for free since the beginning of the national campaign to combat the disease early last month, in addition to the immediate immunization of all the surrounding villages without waiting for the National Campaign's program.
On the other hand, the Higher National Committee to Combat Bird Flu has praised the stringent measures taken by the Qalyubia province to combat the disease after the comprehensive survey conducted by three convoys to monitor farms.
The survey proved that infections concentrated in a single farm in Banha city. Infection was brought under control after culling all infection birds, while no human infections have emerged so far.
In the same context, security services in Cairo and Giza have cracked down on markets and live poultry shops to ensure that dealers are abiding by the poultry markets laws to limit the spread of bird flu.
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