# 1461
If you read the daily reports in the Arabic Press, you'd certainly think there was an epidemic of bird flu occurring in Egypt right now. Each day brings new reports of dozens of suspected bird flu victims hospitalized around that nation.
The key word here is `suspected'.
It isn't clear how many (if any) of these new cases are really due to bird flu. We've not seen a new `confirmed case' in nearly 2 weeks.
In fact, the Egyptian government has been virtually silent on these new cases, releasing only occasional statements that some of these cases tested negative. Most are left as question marks. Neither confirmed or denied.
Since this is the height of the regular flu season, the mere fact that a lot of people have `flu-like' symptoms shouldn't be surprising. And each year, thousands of people are hospitalized for seasonal flu.
But this all comes fresh on the heels of four deaths, all within a week's time, from the H5N1 virus. People are understandably nervous, and so are the authorities.
Presumably the Egyptian government knows by now whether they have detected any new H5N1 infections among these cases. Unfortunately, they aren't being terribly communicative, which has led to speculation that more is happening there than they are willing to admit.
Meanwhile, the local Arabic press is banging the drum vigorously, showing no reticence in using the terms like `bird-flu suspect' again and again.
An example (one of many) of such reporting follows. A Hat tip to Theresa42 on Flutrackers for this translation:.
The detention of 10 new cases of suspected bird flu infection in 3 provinces
Nasser Al-Kashef, Abdel soldier and Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Omar Sheikh Mahmoud Minshawi 12/1/2008
Continued dietary hospitals in the provinces of new cases of detention on suspicion of being infected with avian influenza yesterday and the day before yesterday, were detained Damietta In 5 cases, while 4 were detained in Beni Suef, and one case in Kulobh, in Menoufiya were countless shops poultry and spare water and electricity in preparation for closure.
Damietta detained in a hospital dietary 5 citizens to suspect they are infected with avian influenza infection Fatima Abdulbaset - 43 years - housewife from the village of tooth, and Khalid Abdu cord - 31 years - the driver of Zarqa, Magda Ibrahim al -40 years - housewife from the village of Al-Hourani Martial Center, and Naglaa Izzat Nagar - 35 years - from the village or consent of the Centre Kafr Saad, Mohamed Mahmoud Najm - 13 years - student from Kfar Arabs after the injury very high temperature and congestion in the throat.
The official Egyptian Bird Flu site hasn't directly addressed this growing groundswell of suspected cases, and in fact, hasn't updated their statistics page in months.
Bird flu statistics
Total human bird flu infection cases are 36, 15 cases died, 20 cases recovered completely , 1 under treatment . 2862 suspected cases were inspected and more than 25.000 chickens were tested in 1400 villages of which only 270 sites were tested positive.
The official count is now 43 confirmed cases, and 19 deaths.
So, is there really something happening in Egypt? Are any of these new cases really due to H5N1, or has the local media simply hyped the regular flu season in order to sell papers?
I'm afraid there simply isn't enough information available to know yet.
I'm a bit encouraged that we aren't hearing about about a lot of deaths among those hospitalized. That would seem to indicate a lot of these patients may be suffering from ordinary flu.
The downside here is that regular flu patients may end up isolated along side bird flu patients, which would offer the virus an opportunity to merge, or `reasssort' with one another.
For now, all we can do is watch developments in Egypt carefully, and be thankful we have hard working newshounds scouring the Arabic press for tidbits of information. If something really is happening there, they will almost certainly be the first to bring us that news.
A pity though, that we can't simply get accurate and timely updates from the Egyptian Government. It shouldn't require a Sherlockian effort by dozens of newshounds to get to the truth.
Too much to ask, I suppose.
