# 7300
From the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) we’ve an update (h/t Biological on FluTrackers) indicating that an 11th H5N1 case has been retrospectively identified from Cambodia’s outbreak earlier in the year.
Avian Influenza
Avian Influenza Weekly Update Number 383 (17 May 2013)
Latest information on human avian influenza A(H5N1) cases
Since 2003 to 07 May 2013, the number of cases reported from 15 countries worldwide is 629 and 374 were fatal (CFR 59.4%). Among the countries with more than 10 reported cases, Cambodia had the highest CFR of 84.3% (27 out of 32).
<SNIP>
Cambodia. The eleventh case, 5 year old female from Tep Phirom village, Veal Pon Commune, Thpong District, Kampong Speu province. Onset of illness was on 28 January 2013. The patient was enrolled in a fever surveillance study of the US Naval Medical Research Unit. She was confirmed positive to A/H5N1 influenza on 2 May 2013. The patient is alive and exposure to poultry is being investigated.
You’ll find summaries of H5N1 activity in other countries as well in this update.
Although nowhere near the top of the heap for human H5N1 infections (a dubious honor still held by Indonesia), 2013 has seen a steep rise in human infections with the H5N1 virus in Cambodia.
2005 – 4 cases 2009 – 1 case
2006 – 2 cases 2010 – 1 case
2007 – 1 case 2011 – 8 cases
2008 – 1 case 2012 - 3 cases
2009 – 1 case 2013 - 11 cases
So far, all of the cases this year appear to be widely scattered, and attributed to direct contact to infected poultry. There are no indications of human-to-human spread of the virus.
For now H5N1 remains primarily an avian infection, only rarely passing to humans.
But as the WHO indicated at the end of March (2 days before we learned of H7N9) in WER: Update On Human Cases Of Influenza At Human-Animal Interface, the risks posed by the H5N1 virus, along with other emerging influenza viruses, remain very real.
In the discussion portion of that report, the authors write:
Influenza viruses are unpredictable. Their constant evolving nature raises concerns that these viruses could adapt or reassort with other influenza viruses, thereby gaining potential to become more transmissible to or more pathogenic in humans.
Continued monitoring of the occurrence of human infections with non-seasonal influenza viruses and ongoing characterization of the viruses to assess their pandemic risk are therefore critically important for public health.
Close collaboration with animal health partners allows information regarding viruses circulating in animal populations and human populations worldwide to be shared to improve assessment of global influenza risks to health.
WHO continues to stress the importance of global
monitoring of influenza viruses and recommends all
Member States to strengthen routine influenza surveillance. All human infections with non-seasonal influenza viruses should be reported to WHO under the International Health Regulations (2005).
Another way of saying that Nature’s laboratory never sleeps, and has proven many times that it has terrific multitasking abilities.
