# 3229
Egypt has seen 23 human H5N1 infections since the beginning of the year, while in all of 2008 they reported only 8 human cases. Today, we learn of two more children diagnosed with the virus.
Two Egyptian boys contract bird flu – agency
20 May 2009 15:58:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
CAIRO, May 20 (Reuters) - Two Egyptian boys have contracted the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, bringing the total number of cases in the most populous Arab country to 74, state news agency MENA said on Wednesday.
Egypt, hit harder by bird flu than any other country outside Asia, has seen a surge in cases in recent weeks with 14 new human infections and four deaths reported since April 1 -- more than the country saw in all of 2008.
The children -- a 4-year-old boy from Daqahlia in the Nile Delta and a 3-year-old boy from Sohag in the south -- were admitted to hospital with high fever and were in a stable condition after being treated with Tamiflu, MENA said.
It quoted a health ministry spokesman as saying that both boys had been in contact with birds suspected of being infected with the disease.
The new infections came just days after a 4-year-old girl died of the virus on Monday. Overall, 27 Egyptians have died after contracting the virus.
Florida1 at Flutrackers has put together a list (with links to the appropriate thread on Flutrackers) of the Egyptian cases in onset date order.
Egypt has recently substantially increased their surveillance for possible bird/swine flu cases (see Meanwhile, Back In Egypt . . .).
It is difficult to know how much of this sharp increase in reported cases can be attributed to an increase in infections, and how much is due to enhanced surveillance.
# 52 - 2 years, female, onset date - January 9, 2009, Kerdasa district in Sixth of October governorate
# 53 - 2 years, female, onset date - January 23, 2009, Manofia Governorate, Shebin Elkom District
# 54 - 2 years, male, onset date - February 2, 2009, Suez governorate, some 120 km east of Cairo
# 55 - 2 years, male, onset date - February 7, 2009, village of Aljaddamy, Minya Governorate.
# 56 - 2 years, male, onset date - February 25, 2009, Yousef el seddik district of Fayoum Governorate
# 57 - 2 years, male, onset date - March 1, 2009, Ameriya, Alexandria governorate
# 58 - 1.5 years, female, onset date - March 6, 2009, village of metropolitan Mnov Menofia Center.
# 59 - 38 years, female, onset date - March 14, 2009, village of Al Fatah Almasrp Center Assiut Governorate
# 60 - 2.5 years, female, onset date - March 23, 2009, Nagaa' Abou Shouk village, Dandara, Qena governorate.
# 61 - 2 years, male, onset date - March 27, 2009, from Kom Hamada District, El Behira governorate
# 62 - 2 years, male, onset date - March 31, 2009, from Kom Hamada District, El Behira governorate (cousin of # 61)
# 63 - 6 years, male, onset date - March 22, 2009, from Shubra El Khema District, Al Qalyubiyah governorate. Death
# 64 - 33 years, female, onset date - April 7, 2009, Kellin district, Kafr el-Sheik province. Death
# 65 - 25 years, female, onset date - April 6, 2009, from Al-Marg area, Cairo governorate. Death
# 66 - 18 mo., female, onset date - April 15, 2009, Chaabas Amir Kulain Village, Kellin district, Kafr el-Sheik province
# 67 - 4 years, male, onset date - April 18, 2009, Akhmem, Sohag governorate.
# 68 - 34 years, female, onset date - April 21, 2009, Tanta, Al Gharbiyah (West Province) governorate. (status unclear)
# 69 - 5 years, female, onset date - May 9, 2009, Sohag governorate
# 70 - 4 years, male, onset date - May 10th, 2009, Kafr Sagr, Sharqia (East Province) governorate.
# 71 - 3 years, male, onset date - May 12th, 2009, Mahalla, Gharbia Governorate.
# 72 - 4 years, female, onset date - May 9, 2009, Meet Ghamr, Daqahlia governorate. Death# 73 - 4 years, male, onset date - May 18, 2009 , Dakahliya, Sohag
# 74 - 3 years, male, onset date - May 17, 2009 - Sohag
