Re: Egyptian 10-year-old girl infected with bird flu, in critical condition
Re: Egyptian 10-year-old girl infected with bird flu, in critical condition
AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (96): EGYPT
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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[1] Egypt: 35th case
Date: Fri 8 Jun 2007
Source: Microbes.info, Reuters report, Fri 8 Jun 2007 [edited]
<
http://www.microbes.info/news/bird_flu.php>
Egypt: girl infected with bird flu according to MOH and WHO
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CAIRO: A 10 year old girl from southern Egypt has been infected with the
deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, and is in "very critical" condition, a World
Health Organization (WHO) official said on Friday [8 Jun 20007]. "There is
a new human case just reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH). She is a 10
year old female. She has a history of contact with backyard birds," said
John Jabbour, an official with WHO in Cairo.
This fresh infection brought the number of human cases of avian influenza
[H5N1] in Egypt to 35, of whom 14 have died. Egypt's state news agency MENA
reported that the girl, from the southern town of Qena, was in hospital on
a respirator.
The disease first hit Egypt in 2006 and did extensive damage to the poultry
industry and the economy as a whole. Egypt has the highest number of
confirmed human bird flu cases outside Asia. Most of those who fell ill
were reported to have had contact with sick or dead household birds,
primarily in northern Egypt. But the government still finds it hard to
enforce restrictions on the movement and sale of live poultry.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Mary Marshall
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[2] Egypt: 15th death
Date: Sat 9 Jun 2007
Source: Reuters Foundation AlertNet, Sat 9 Jun 2007 [edited]
<
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09359169.htm>
Egypt: 10 year old girl dies of bird flu virus infection
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A 10 year old Egyptian girl who contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus died on
Saturday [9 Jun 2007], bringing the number of fatalities from the disease
in the most populous Arab country to 15, the health ministry said. The girl
is reported to have fallen ill on 1 Jun 2007 after coming into contact with
infected household birds but did not enter hospital until roughly a week
later, delaying potentially life-saving treatment.
Her case followed a nearly 2 month warm weather lull in human bird flu
cases in Egypt, where 35 people [including this 10 year old girl - Mod.CP]
are known to have contracted the virus since it was 1st detected in
Egyptian poultry in early 2006.
The Egyptian health ministry said in a statement that the girl, from the
southern town of Qena, had been admitted to hospital on Thursday [7 Jun
2007] with a high fever and a pulmonary infection, and was put on an
artificial respirator. "She died at dawn on Saturday and is considered the
15th death from bird flu in Egypt," the statement said.
Bird flu did extensive damage to the country's poultry industry and the
economy as a whole after its arrival in Egypt, which has more confirmed
human bird flu cases than any other country outside of Asia. Most of those
who have fallen ill in Egypt were reported to have had contact with sick or
dead household birds, primarily in northern Egypt where the weather is
typically cooler than in the south. But in a sign of a change in how the
disease may be occurring in Egypt, all but 2 of the past 11 human cases
have occurred in central or southern parts of the country.
Bird flu experts in Egypt have said they would typically expect fewer human
cases of the disease during Egypt's sweltering summer months, and in 2006
there was a summertime lull in human cases between May and October. Experts
fear that the bird flu virus might mutate or combine with the highly
contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a deadly pandemic which could
circle the globe and kill millions.
Around 5 million households in Egypt depend on poultry as a main source of
food and income and the government has said this makes it unlikely the
disease can be eradicated. The government still finds it hard to enforce
restrictions on the movement and sale of live poultry.
[byline: Cynthia Johnston]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Up to the present the Egyptian Ministry of Health has had considerable
success in preventing death by prompt administration of antivirals. The
delay in hospitalisation may have contributed to the unfortunate death of
this young girl.
A map of Egypt showing the location of Qena in the southern part of the
country is available at: <
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/egypt.gif>.
- Mod.CP]
[see also:
Avian influenza, human (90): China, WHO 20070604.1809
Avian influenza, human (89): Viet Nam 20070602.1788
Avian influenza, human (88): Indonesia 20070601.1771
Avian influenza, human (87): Indonesia, WHO 20070531.1755
Avian influenza, human (86): Indonesia 20070531.1753
Avian influenza, human (85): China, WHO 20070530.1743
Avian influenza, human (84): China 20070527.1699
Avian influenza, human (62): China, Egypt, WHO 20070331.1103
Avian influenza, human (61): China, Indonesia 20070329.1080
Avian influenza, human (58): Egypt, China (Hong Kong) 20070326.1046
Avian influenza, human (55): H9N2, China (Hong Kong SAR) 20070320.0975
Avian influenza, human (46): China 20070304.0752
Avian influenza, human (44): China, Egypt, WHO 20070301.0732
Avian influenza, human (43): China, Egypt 20070228.0718
Avian influenza, human (07): Indonesia, China WHO 20070110.0109]
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