Credit CDC PHIL
# 7236
While H7N9 and the Novel Coronavirus work on perfecting their Alphonse and Gaston routine ("After you, H7.", "No, you first, my dear nCov!"), we’ve a reminder that the H5N1 avian flu virus continues to spread in poultry, and occasionally infect humans, in those regions where it is endemic.
Today, an Arabic media report (hat tip Sharon Sanders on FluTrackers) of another H5N1 related fatality – that of a 25 year-old Egyptian woman who died from acute respiratory symptoms - and now reportedly has tested positive for the virus.
From the FluTrackers thread, a slightly syntax-challenged machine translation.
Health Sohag: infected with bird flu died before the arrival of the central laboratory report
Monday, May 6, 2013 - 00:25
Mohammed Mustafa Hamid, Minister of Health
Sohag - Mahmoud acceptable
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Sohag, that the woman who died, after being infected with avian influenza, and the receipt of the report of the central laboratory positive case, that the situation called Nasra Mohammed on the 25-year-old housewife and evaluate the circle center Juhaynah, and that the situation has entered a private hospital, suffer from shortness of breath and high temperature and was nominated and symptoms of a cold and that on April 29 last year.
Following suspicion of the hospital in case, notified the Department of Health, which in turn sends a team of Preventive Medicine, and was giving drug Altmflo, has also been taking a sample and swab them, and sent to the central laboratories , Ms. died before receiving the reports of the central laboratory hours, which tested positive.
And on the other hand, has been the formation of a team of Preventive Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, was sent to the home of Mrs. infected, was the work of an inventory of Mkhaltin the lady of the family, and the work of an inventory of domestic poultry and types of samples were taken from for analysis.
Noteworthy that the Ministry of Health said in the words of Dr. Amr Qandil, head of the affairs of preventive ministry, that the lady was suffering from acute respiratory symptoms, and booked at the hospital, was placed on a respirator and given Tamiflu, also took the ministry swab from the throat and analyzed by central labs came sample positive for bird flu.
The narrative appears to be that this woman was hospitalized on the 29th with fever and shortness of breath, was treated with Tamiflu, and was placed on a respirator before she died. While suspected, testing only came back positive for the H5N1 virus after her death.
An alternative translation of the second paragraph yields:
Following the suspicion of hospital case, notified the Health Department which sent a team of preventive medicine, was given the estate altmflo, sampling and survey them, and send them to the central laboratory, Ms. She died before reports of the central laboratory, which tested positive.
Taken together, it would appear that public health teams have visited her home, taken samples from household members, poultry, and the environment, and (apparently) have offered Tamiflu to relatives.
The World Health Organization now reports on H5N1 cases on a more-or-less monthly basis, so we’ll have to wait a while until we can know if this is a confirmed case.
While H7N9 appears to be the rising star of the avian influenza world, this is a sobering reminder that H5N1 – while predominantly a threat to poultry – continues to make sporadic jumps to humans as well.
