# 9558
The brisk pace of H5N1 reports continues with the Egyptian MOH confirming the media reports from Friday (see Egyptian Media: 3 New H5N1 Cases) which raised the new year’s total to 7 cases, and adding 3 more cases on top of those, bringing us to a total of 10 for 2015.
While we aren’t seeing family clusters or other signs signaling human-to-human spread, Egypt has now reported 35 cases in less than 60 days. After reporting only 8 cases in the previous 24 months, this suggests that something has changed – either with the virus, or with surveillance and reporting.
Last week in CIDRAP: FAO Reports Mutations In H5N1 Virus From Egyptian Poultry, we looked at recent genetic analysis of H5N1 sample from Egyptian poultry showing signs of better adaptation of mammalian hosts. Two samples collected from recent human cases, however, did not show any major genetic changes.
Like with H7N9 in China, our concern is the more humans that get infected, the more chances the virus has to pick up host adaptations that might favor its replication and transmission.
This is also regular flu season, and there is always the risk of having someone being simultaneously infected by two flu viruses, which can rarely lead to a reassortant virus being created. We’ve looked at co-infection with influenza viruses several time in the past, most recently in EID Journal: Human Co-Infection with Avian and Seasonal Influenza Viruses, China.
While it is true that most reassorted viruses are evolutionary failures, sputtering and dying off without our ever noticing, it only takes the generation of one biologically `fit’ reassortant virus to ruin our whole day.
Admittedly, we don’t know if any of these avian viruses have the capability to adapt to humans well enough to ever pose a pandemic threat (see Are Influenza Pandemic Viruses Members Of An Exclusive Club?). Few researchers, however, are willing to bet the farm on there being some kind of as-yet unidentified `species barrier’ that will protect us.
Here then are translations of the two latest MOH releases (in case order, not in release order).
The Ministry of health and population recovery confirmed cases of avian influenza to man 51 years old from Asyut province, also wounded three cases announced and confirmed بڤيروس N5 H1 (bird flu) cases in the provinces of East, menoufia, while if mhavzhalgharbet died on Friday 02/01/2015 before the sample result, bringing the total number of cases of bird flu by 2015 to 7 cases (1 case of healing, and 5 cases under treatment (1) deaths), and cases During the 2015 two of Minya and the status of each of the governorate of Cairo, Qaliubiya, menoufiya, East and West.
Therefore calls upon the Ministry of health and population of citizens who are dealing with immediate direction to the nearest poultry hospital for the health service if they have flu symptoms, where the infected bird flu drug Tamiflu within the first 24 hours of the onset of symptoms increases the healing rates of disease and reduces the mortality and Health Ministry advised people who deal with poultry to be careful and prudent when dealing with birds that show symptoms of the disease and the need to take preventive action to prevent such infection cover The mouth and nose when handling poultry, wash hands with SOAP and water after handling birds and children not accompany poultry or slaughter premises as well as the need to separate from living birds.
Source: Media Center
Health: central laboratory analysis results confirm positive three لڤيروس N5H1
The Ministry of health and population recovery confirmed cases of bird flu to a 30-year-old from Minya province, also wounded three cases announced, stressing بڤيروس N5H1 (bird flu):-
The first case of a child aged 10 years from Aswan governorate, and is still under treatment in hospital fevers Daraw, stable condition, the second case of a 20-year-old from Cairo, is still under treatment in hospital, and abasiyya health condition medium, the third case of a 20-year-old from Menofia Governorate, and is still under treatment in hospital in ashmun, fevers and stable condition, bringing the total number of cases of bird flu in 2015 so far 10 cases (cases healing, 7 Cases under treatment, one case of death) and the cases that occurred during the 2015 is (two from each of the provinces of Minya-Minufiyah, Cairo, and one each from the provinces of East-West kalioubia-Aswan)
Therefore calls upon the Ministry of health and population of citizens who handle poultry to go immediately to the nearest hospital to receive health service if they have flu symptoms, where the infected bird flu drug Tamiflu within the first 24 hours of the onset of symptoms increases the healing rates of disease and reduces the mortality and Health Ministry advised people who deal with poultry to be careful and prudent when dealing with birds that show symptoms of the disease and the need to take preventive action to prevent such infection cover The mouth and nose when handling poultry, wash hands with SOAP and water after handling birds and children not accompany poultry or slaughter premises as well as the need to separate from living birds.
