# 4088
Although FluTrackers had word of an 89th confirmed human H5N1 infection out of Egypt a couple of days ago, the WHO has posted an official update today, along with a new table of cases by country.
It should be noted that Indonesia stopped reporting H5N1 cases nearly a year ago, after a couple of years of less than stellar reporting.
Numbers from other countries, where surveillance and reporting may be less than optimal, probably don’t reflect the true picture either.
Egypt has seen 38 human infections this year, a nearly 500% increase over 2008. Remarkably, however, the fatality rate has dropped to just about 10% in 2009.
The H5N1 virus remains endemic in poultry in Egypt, despite attempts to eradicate the virus through culling, vaccination, and public education.
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 25
27 November 2009 -- The Ministry of Health of Egypt has reported a new confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H5N1).
The case is a 3 year-old male from Minia Governorate. His symptoms started on 21 November 2009.
He was admitted to hospital on 22 November and his condition is stable. Investigations into the source of infection indicated that the case had close contact with dead and/or sick poultry.
The cases were confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories.
Of the 89 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 27 have been fatal.
A few of the recent reports of H5N1 in poultry, carried on the SAIDR website, include:
- RECENT CASES:
- Date of result: 24 November 2009
Date of sampling: 23 November 2009
Governorate: Fayoum
District: Senouris
Village: Sanhour el Baharia
Type of rearing: Household
Species: Chicken
Number of birds: 40
Vaccination status: Unvaccinated
Purpose of sampling: PDS
Comments: The village is 500 meters from Lake Qaroun, and the domestic poultry has regular contact with migratory ducks. The outbreak started six months ago and was still circulating among the households around the time of sampling.
Three weeks ago, the household had sudden deaths with 100 percent mortality associated with cyanosis in comb and wattles for 200 layer chickens. After cleaning and decontamination, the household introduced new 40 young grower chickens bought from a nursery farm via peddler: Three days after introducing new chickens, mortalities started again with cyanosis in comb and wattles. The source of the outbreak is unknown. The newly purchased chickens may have been bought infected from the nursery farm, or may have contracted the infection at the household after contact with contaminated matter from the layer chickens that died in the earlier episode.
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- Date of result: 24 November 2009
Date of sampling: 23 November 2009
Governorate: Fayoum
District: Etsa
Village: Ahrit
Type of rearing: Household
Species: Mixed (chickens, ducks)
Number of birds: 14
Vaccination status: Unvaccinated
Purpose of sampling: PDS - ----------------------------------------------------------
- Date of result: 18 November 2009
Date of sampling: 17 November 2009
Governorate: Dakahlia
District: Tomay el Amdid
Village: El Fath el Gedida
Type of rearing: Household
Species: Mixed (chickens, ducks, geese)
Number of birds: 37
Vaccination status: Unvaccinated
Purpose of sampling: PDS
Comments: The outbreak exhibits progressive mortality, clear signs of cyanosis of the head and wattles in chicken, and nervous manifestations in ducks in many households in the village. Signs of an outbreak were first observed two weeks earlier. There was a massive spread of the infection in majority of houses. The source of infection was ducks provided as a gift from Kom el Khalig village, Mansoura district, Dakahlia.
