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With 20 reported H5N1 cases already in the first 3 weeks of this new year, and 5 deaths, Egypt continues to see its largest string of human H5N1 infections in its 9 year history of dealing with this avian virus. Over a little more than 2 months they’ve reported 49 cases, and 16 deaths – and there are few signs that this outbreak is waning.
Thus far, we’ve seen no credible reports suggesting community spread of the virus, and nearly all appear to have had direct contact with infected poultry.
Yesterday, in Egypt MOH Confirms 20th H5N1 Case Of 2015, we looked at some of the speculation over the likely cause of this surge in human cases, but the bottom line is no one really knows. Hopefully we’ll get some definitive answers via the World Health Organization or our NAMRU-2 station in Cairo in the coming days or weeks.
In the meantime the Egyptian Government has announced the creation of a high-level `Supreme National Committee On Bird Flu’, ordered by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, to be chaired the first year by the Minister of Agriculture.
Mahlab issued a decision to form the Supreme National Committee to follow up the position of bird flu
Ryan and Kamal Mahmoud Mattawa
Tuesday 20/01/2015 - 12:27
Issued Engineer Ibrahim Mahlab, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, a decision to form the Supreme National Committee to follow the position of the bird flu, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, for the first annual session, and membership of, the Minister of Local Development, and Minister of Health and Population, and the Environment Minister, in addition to the Governors (Giza / Cairo / Kafr el-Sheikh / Dakahlia / Qalubia / Minya / lake / Fayoum / Menoufia).
The Committee also includes head of SIS, the head of crisis management room cabinet, and the head of veterinary services at the Ministry of Defense, and a representative of the Medical Services Department Defense, and a representative of the Ministry of Interior (waterbodies police), and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and President of the General Authority for Veterinary Services, and representatives of preventive affairs and endemic sector. The Committee is concerned with the follow-up of bird flu, and to provide periodic report the results of its work and recommendations to the Chairman of the Board Ministers to take the necessary action, and shall preside over the Commission rotates Ministers Committee members annually, they also have to employ someone who sees their use of experts and specialists in the field of work
Meanwhile, the Governor of hard-hit Assuit Governorate - Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Hammad - has issued his own statement on their avian flu crisis.
Assiut Governor: take all preventive measures to reduce the «Bird Flu»
Assiut - ASHA Posted on: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - 13:33 | Last updated: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - 13:33
Issued Gen. Ibrahim Hammad governor of Assiut, instructed aggravating administrators directorates of health, veterinary medicine, preventive medicine, to intensify surveillance campaigns in any place where cases of positive HIV infection show "bird flu", with the need for medical and preventive follow-up of cases, pointing to entrust the main operating room to maintain next Rooms operations centers immediate and ongoing follow-up.
He called Hammad, in a statement, today, to intensify awareness campaigns for citizens in the centers and villages, to raise awareness of the culture and the face of this virus, and the emphasis on them not to deal with live birds, whether buying or breeding houses.
And finally, this sad Ministry of Health confirmation of Egypt’s 5th fatality of the new year, that of a 6 year old from Minya.
The Ministry of Health and Population for the death of a confirmed case of bird flu, a condition of a child at the age of 6 years from the province of Minya, bringing the total number of cases of bird flu in 2015, so far 20 cases (6 cases of healing and 9 cases under treatment, 0.5 deaths).
Therefore, calls on the Ministry of Health and Population citizens who deal with poultry immediately go to the nearest hospital for medical service in the case of the emergence of symptoms of influenza them where to receive the injured bird flu drug Tamiflu within the first 24 hours of the onset of symptoms increases the cure rates of the disease and reduces death rates and advises the Ministry of Health of citizens who deal with poultry exercise caution and prudence when dealing with birds, especially that shows symptoms of sick and need to take preventive measures to prevent infection, such as cover your mouth and nose when dealing with poultry, wash your hands with soap and water after handling birds and not to take children to places of birds breeding or slaughter, as well as the need to separate the birds from the living quarters. Source: Media Center
