# 2700
Roughly forty-eight hours ago we first started hearing about possible human cases of H5N1 bird flu infections in Nepal. Early reports went as far as to suggest that there were five people in critical condition.
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The bird flu has come to Nepal. No one has died yet, but five people suspected of having been infected by the virus have been hospitalised in critical conditions. Outbreaks were reported in the eastern part of the country, in particular in Jhapa district, with the virus coming probably from India.
This was a bit surprising, given that after a year of dealing with multiple outbreaks, neighboring India has yet to announce a single human infection.
The news article lacked specifics, however, and so I was pretty skeptical of it.
Within hours, a second report appeared on the news wires downplaying any human cases, but confirming that 3 people were being `monitored'.
Kathmandu, January 23:
Though the outbreak of bird flu has been reported in Jhapa district, not a single case of the disease in human has been recorded till date, according to the Department of Health Services.
“Not even a single case of bird flu in humans has been recorded so far. But we have kept three suspected people under watch for a week,” Dr Manas Banerjee, coordinator of Avian Influenza Control Project, said.
While this added some credence to the first report, it was a long way from being `5 people in critical condition'.
For the next 24 hour or so, we heard nothing new.
Overnight, Xinhua News reported on a single suspect case, hospitalized in Dharan, exhibiting `bird flu' symptoms. The report even mentions a `positive' blood test, although it doesn't state what kind of test.
According to the report, bird flu has been suspected to have infected Santosh Dahal from Damak who was taken to nearby BP Koirala Institute for Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan. Communication spokesperson for BPKIHS Bijay Rimal said bird flu virus has been suspected to have been found in Dahal's blood sample during test in institute's laboratory.
Next we hear (hat tip Dutchy on Flutrackers) that the 3 people under observation have been released, and that they were not infected with the virus.
People under medical supervision in bird flu area discharged
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, JAN 25: Three people held under medical supervision after their symptoms matched those of bird flu are now considered to be out of the infection, a concerned official confirmed.
"All three, that include two members of a culling team and a woman of Dhulabari, near to Mechinagar – 10, government-declared bird flu crisis zone, have been discharged from hospital," said Manas Kumar Banarjee, coordinator of the Avian Influenza Control Project, under the Ministry of Health and Population. "They were not infected with the bird flu."
It would seem at this point that we've winnowed down the number of suspected cases from 5 to just 1.
But then we get this report, also from Xinhua News, that attempts to downplay any human cases in Nepal at all.
How much of this is factual, and how much of it is `damage control', is hard to say.
No one infected by bird flu in Nepali capital: doctor
www.chinaview.cn
2009-01-25 20:11:32
KATHMANDU, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- With panic spreading among the public about the bird flu, Nepali authorities confirmed Sunday no person has been infected with the virus and the virus has not spread in the capital Kathmandu, local media reported.
Director of the BP Koirala Institute of Health Science Dr BP Das rebuffed the rumors that two persons, being treated at the hospital, were infected with the avian virus (H5N1).
He clarified that the two were admitted into the hospital three days ago after being infected with pneumonia, not bird flu, eKantipur.com reported.
Dr. Das claimed that the media had unnecessarily created false rumors that the two patients had contracted the virus.
He also informed that the hospital had already contacted the government for the provision of additional manpower, tools and medicines, keeping in view the possible outbreak of the avian flu in people.
He added that the hospital has made preparations for a separate "Tropical Ward" for the treatment of avian flu, if needed.
Likewise, the government has confirmed that the avian virus has not been detected in the capital so far.
Spokesperson at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Hari Dahal said, "a few chicken died in the capital recently. We are carrying out the tests but it has not been confirmed yet as to whether the chicken died of the avian virus".
"After carrying out preliminary tests in Nepal, samples have been sent to the United Kingdom for the confirmation," he informed.
The government on Jan. 16 confirmed the outbreak of bird flu virus in the eastern district of Jhapa.
Since Nepal lacks the ability to do laboratory detection of the bird flu virus, until a reference lab in another country can test samples and return the results, officials can `truthfully' state that there are no confirmed cases of H5N1 in the country.
And so we wait, and hope that when the results are returned, that they are released by the Nepali government and accurately reported.
Trying to make sense of events that are occurring in remote areas half-way around the world - often in countries with limited press freedoms, and sometimes having to rely on reporting that isn't always without an agenda - can be frustrating.
But this is the imperfect world in which we must operate.
If any of my readers wonder why I am usually slow to embrace the latest news reports of human cases, or why I use words like `suspected' and `reportedly' ad nauseam . . . now you know why.
