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Influenza A(H5N1) - Multistate (world) - Monitoring human cases (ECDC/CDTR, March 18 2013)

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  • Influenza A(H5N1) - Multistate (world) - Monitoring human cases (ECDC/CDTR, March 18 2013)

    [Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), full PDF document: (LINK). Edited.]


    COMMUNICABLE DISEASE THREATS REPORT

    Week 11, 10-16 March 2013

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    Influenza A(H5N1) - Multistate (world) - Monitoring human cases

    Opening date: 15 June 2005 Latest update: 14 March 2013



    Epidemiological summary

    The latest WHO update on 12 March 2013 acknowledges the two fatal human cases with influenza A(H5N1) virus infection, in Cambodia, reported in last week's CDTR. Since the beginning of 2013, Cambodia has reported nine human cases with influenza A(H5N1) virus infection, including eight fatal cases, from five provinces in southern Cambodia.

    According to WHO there does not seem to be an epidemiological link between the cases and most had contact with sick poultry. The clade 1.1 viruses that have been isolated from these cases are very similar to those isolated from poultry in the region.

    Contact investigations did not detect any additional cases. This suggests that these cases are sporadic infections from exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments, rather than human-to-human transmission.

    The two fatal Chinese cases, also previously included in the CDTR, came from the same province but they do not seem to be epidemiologically linked. Neither case had documented contact with sick or dead poultry.

    Globally since 2003, 622 laboratory-confirmed human cases with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection have been officially reported to WHO, of which 371 have died.

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    ECDC assessment

    Hong Kong reported the world's first recorded major outbreak of bird flu among humans in 1997, when six people died. Most human infections are the result of direct contact with infected birds, and countries with large poultry populations in close contact with humans are considered to be most at risk of bird flu outbreaks.

    ECDC follows the worldwide A(H5N1) situation through epidemic intelligence activities in order to identify significant changes in the epidemiology of the virus. ECDC re-assesses the potential of a changing risk for A(H5N1) to humans on a regular basis. There are currently no indications that from a human health perspective there is any significant change in the epidemiology associated with any clade or strain of the A(H5N1) virus.

    This assessment is based on the absence of sustained human-to-human transmission, and on the observation that there is no apparent change in the size of clusters or reports of chains of infection. However, vigilance for avian influenza in domestic poultry and wild birds in Europe remains important.



    Actions

    WHO is now reporting H5N1 cases on a monthly basis. ECDC will continue monthly reporting in the CDTR to coincide with WHO reporting.

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