(updated)
# 1363
Breaking News from Reuters, carried on the Ireland.com web site.
Last Updated: 15/12/2007 11:40
1 dead, 6 ill with bird flu in Pakistan
One person has died and six other have been infected by the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province in the past two months, a senior Health Ministry official said today.
"Seven in total. One died and six other people were infected with the H5N1 virus," Federal Health Secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari said. "It was confirmed by blood tests."
He said two people had recovered and four were in quarantine.
Which is at odds with the last report, attributed to the Health Ministry late yesterday, which claimed 5 patients total (no new ones since Dec 5th), and no deaths proven (although 2 were suspected).
Have 2 more victims been added to the list? Or are they rolling the 2 dead brothers into the total, and inexplicably counting one of them as still being alive?
If it's true that there have been no new cases in 10 days, they've had enough time to get their numbers straight. We shouldn't be seeing constantly revised figures.
The Pakistani authorities need to provide a list with names (or initials), onset dates, locations, and their current status (released, hospitalized, or deceased). It's simple, really.
If Indonesia, with all of their shortcomings, can do that.
So can Pakistan.
UPDATED 0800 EDT
Xinhua news has now weighed in with this oneliner.
www.chinaview.cn 
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The National Institute of Health on Saturday confirmed that two people died of bird flu in northwestern Pakistan in late October.
And Now the AP has their version, with all five infected patients recovered (as opposed to 4 still being in quarantine in the Reuters story).
6 Pakistanis infected, one fatally, with H5N1 bird flu, government says
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Six people in northern Pakistan were infected with H5N1 bird flu last month and at least one person has died of the disease, the government said Saturday.
It was not immediately clear if the World Health Organization also had identified the bird flu virus as the deadly H5N1 strain.
Of the six people who tested positive, "Five of them have fully recovered. One of the confirmed cases died in hospital, while his brother who could not be tested has also died," the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Are we confused yet?
