# 6093
On the heels of recent human H5N1 infections reported in Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, and Cambodia - China has announced their second bird flu fatality in less than a month.
This time it reportedly involves a 39-year-old man living in Guizhou, a province in southern China.
The AP and AFP are reporting this patient, who was described as being in critical condition several hours ago, as having died on Sunday (AP link)
Here is the official notification from the Hong Kong Centre For Health Protection.
Notification of a human case of H5N1 in Guizhou
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health received notification from the Ministry of Health (MoH) today (January 22) concerning a confirmed human case of influenza A (H5N1) in Guizhou.
A CHP spokesman said the patient was a 39-year-old man living in Guizhou. He developed symptoms on January 6 and was admitted to a hospital on the same day. He is now in critical condition. The man did not report obvious exposure history to poultry before the onset of symptoms.
Laboratory tests on the patient's specimen by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention yielded a positive result for H5N1.
The CHP is maintaining close liaison with the MoH to obtain more information on the case. We will heighten our vigilance and continue to maintain stringent port health measures in connection with this development, the spokesman said.
The spokesman reminded members of the public to remain vigilant against avian influenza infection and to observe the following measures:
- Avoid direct contact with poultry and birds or their droppings; if contacts have been made, they should wash hands thoroughly with soap and water;
- Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating;
- Wash hands frequently;
- Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with tissue and put it into covered dustbins;
- Avoid crowded places and contact with sick people with fever;
- Wear a mask when you have respiratory symptoms or need to take care of patients with fever;
- When you have fever and influenza-like illnesses during a trip or when coming back to Hong Kong, you should consult doctors promptly and reveal your travel history.
For further information on avian influenza, please visit the CHP website: www.chp.gov.hk.
Ends/Sunday, January 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:44
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Despite the standard cautions about exposure to poultry listed above, the AFP report indicates - that like the case in Guangdong province in late December - this victim claimed no known contact with poultry over the past 30 days.
The report goes on to say that 71 contacts of this victim are being monitored, but none have developed any signs of illness.
This recent spate of cases comes amid the traditional Lunar New Years celebration, a 6-week period which sees hundreds of millions of Asians returning to home and family to celebrate each year.
The Lunar New Year occurs on January 23rd this year, and as they do every year, public health officials will be on the lookout for any signs of unusual disease outbreaks in the wake of this mass migration.
The recent spike in human H5N1 infections is something we see each winter, but fortunately we’ve yet to see any signs of sustained human-to-human transmission of this virus.
Nevertheless, as these cases continue to trickle in scientists keep watch for any signs that might indicate the virus is adapting better to humans.
