#4466
During my week-long hiatus it appears that there have been two new H5N1 cases in Egypt, with the latest (#109) being reported on Saturday by the Egyptian Ministry of Health.
Details on the 108th case are available from the WHO (World Health Organization’s) most recent Egyptian update.
The newshounds at FluTrackers have been following this latest case since Saturday morning on this thread. Twall, Commonground, Sally, Sharon Sanders, and others have contributed more than 2 dozen news reports and translations over the past 48 hours.
From Egyptian media reports, it would appear that this latest case- that of an 18-year-old woman who was originally reported to be in critical condition – may have ended in her death.
First the statement from the Egyptian State Information Service.
Sunday, 04 April 2010
Health Ministry announces 109th bird flu case
The Health Ministry confirmed on 3/4/2010 a new bird flu case in Egypt bringing the total number to 109 since its appearance in Egypt in 2006 till now.
The ministry said that the case is of an 18-year-old woman from Al-Fayyoum Governorate.
The ministry reported that she suffers from high temperature and difficulty in breathing and she is treated in Al-Fayyoum Fever Hospital since March, 31.
Subsequent media reports have this bird flu victim having died, although no official statement appears to have been made as yet by the MOH.
Of a woman from Fayoum at the age of 18 years
The death of the 34 bird flu in Egypt
Cairo - Mohamed Helmy, Egypt Online
The Ministry of Health in Egypt Sunday for a new deaths from bird flu of a woman at the age of 18 years old, from Fayoum.
Bringing the number of cases of the disease in Egypt, 109 cases, and the number of deaths in 34 cases from the onset of the disease in 2006 until now.
The ministry said in a statement that this case is the seventh case in 2010.
We’ll need to wait for official confirmation of this fatality from the MOH, of course.
There is some ambiguity regarding the number of deaths from the H5N1 virus this year in Egypt, with the MOH reporting 7, and media reports gathered by newshounds suggesting possibly 8.
Whether 7 or 8, it should be noted that in all of 2009, Egypt only reported 4 fatalities (out of 39 cases).
