# 9496
It’s been a busy bird flu news day with H5N1 in Egypt, H7N9 in Hong Kong and mainland China, and for the past 10 hours there have been cryptic Arabic twitter messages regarding supposed H5N1 cases in Libya (see graphic below), a country that has reported bird flu in poultry in the past, but never any human infections.
Earlier this month, FluTrackers also picked up a report on a suspected H5N1 case in Egypt, who had just returned from Libya, but it was never confirmed.
In the past hour, however, multiple news reports have emerged in the Arabic and English press, indicating that there have been four recent (time frame not specified) H5N1 deaths; 3 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, and one in Tobruk. According to these reports, a fifth case is suspected, and the WHO has been notified.
I’ve found nothing yet on the Libyan MOH website, but we have several media reports:
(machine translated)
Bird flu kill four people in Libya
The Ministry of Health in the interim Libyan government for the deaths of four people in Libya in the past few days as a result of being infected, "said the 5 H 1" strain of bird flu.
The health minister said the Libyan Alaclai satisfaction that "the four people who died during the last term as a result of injury near the virus that causes the country's west and east of the bird flu."
He explained Alaclai told him Saturday that "the three cases was killed as a result of the disease in the Libyan capital Tripoli, in addition to the deaths, one in the city of Tobruk," near the Libyan-Egyptian border east of the country.
The minister pointed out that "the case is suspected of being infected with the disease were introduced to Tobruk Medical Center and continues to exist there," pointing out that he will go to Tobruk Sunday to find out the latest developments, and on to Cairo for a meeting of experts at the World Health Organization Regional Office in this regard.
On the other hand, stressed that his country Alaclai-free so far of Ebola epidemic which invades West Africa.
This report from NDTV (India):
4 Die of Bird Flu in Libya: Minister
World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: December 28, 2014 02:44 IST
Four people have died of bird flu in Libya in recent days, the health minister of the country's internationally recognised government said on Saturday.
Rida al-Awkali said a fifth person suspected of having contracted the virus is currently in hospital in the far eastern city of Tobruk.
Three of the victims died in the capital Tripoli, while the fourth died in Tobruk, he added, without saying which strain of the disease they caught.
And this (machine translated) report from the http://www.tunisien.tn
Libya: Bird flu kills 4 people
Last updated: 12/27/2014
By Hadia Aezzqala | Posted in: Health , around the world
Causing an epidemic of bird flu today in the cities of Tripoli and Tobruk Allebian.fa the deaths of four people
and explained the Minister of Health Allepie satisfaction Alaclai, in a press statement on Saturday, he was informed the World Health Organization, which confirmed its part, send experts to Libya within 48 hours, and will work to remedy the situation .
