Libyan MOH: Statement On Severe Pneumonia Cases

 

 

# 9504

 

Yesterday numerous media outlets reported 4 H5N1 Deaths In Libya, although no official statement was posted on the Libyan Ministry Of Health Website.  While the MOH site remains silent, today Sharon Sanders of FluTrackers has dug up a (machine translated) statement from the Libyan MOH Facebook page.

As you will see, it doesn’t exactly clear up matters. At least one case is identified as having H1N1, others having `influenza A’, and still others were apparently not tested.  

 

Regardless of yesterday’s reportage, whether any of this really adds up to H5N1 is anyone’s guess at this point.  Given the political turmoil and fighting in the region, getting reliable information anytime soon may prove difficult, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

 

The Committee held the substantive follow-up to the pandemic by the National Centre for disease control convened an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the Centre on Sunday 28/12/2014, during which the current situation regarding the occurrence of pneumonia where the record number (10) cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome have the same common symptoms are cough-heat-phlegm with blood-acute respiratory failure "died from 5 cases were as follows :-

The Tripoli medical center ((two two pregnant women in their thirties one of them proved fatal case of H1N1 and they be still underneath the intensive care ventilator-the third case of a young man in the 1940s is still in intensive care waiting for lab results. the fourth case of a young man in his 30s died of the lab results confirmed as having avian influenza type a-A fifth case of a young man in the 1930s remained hospitalized in intensive care, pending the outcome of the alhalil-the sixth case of a pregnant woman with the same symptoms converted from Center The Tripoli medical companies and hospitals died in hospital))

Tobruk (cases (4 cases reported the same symptoms died, including three patients, two brothers aged 28 and 40-year-old died and not taken them sample-the second chip died in Egypt is sufficient information about the patient as the fourth case is still under the care of laboratory technician

Through these cases, the Committee stresses that the current situation does not constitute transboundary epidemic with wide-ranging as current data and communicate with hospitals to prepare for any emergency.

 

Media Reports: 4 H5N1 Deaths In Libya

 

# 9496

 

It’s been a busy bird flu news day with H5N1 in Egypt, H7N9 in Hong Kong and mainland China, and for the past 10 hours there have been cryptic Arabic twitter messages regarding supposed H5N1 cases in Libya (see graphic below), a country that has reported bird flu in poultry in the past, but never any human infections.

Earlier this month, FluTrackers  also picked up a report on a suspected H5N1 case in Egypt, who had just returned from Libya, but it was never confirmed.

 

In the past hour, however, multiple news reports have emerged in the Arabic and English press, indicating that there have been four recent (time frame not specified) H5N1 deaths; 3 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, and one in Tobruk.  According to these reports, a fifth case is suspected, and the WHO has been notified.

 

I’ve found nothing yet on the Libyan MOH website, but we have several media reports:

 

(machine translated)

Bird flu kill four people in Libya

27-12-2014
22:50
 

The Ministry of Health in the interim Libyan government for the deaths of four people in Libya in the past few days as a result of being infected, "said the 5 H 1" strain of bird flu.

The health minister said the Libyan Alaclai satisfaction that "the four people who died during the last term as a result of injury near the virus that causes the country's west and east of the bird flu."

He explained Alaclai told him Saturday that "the three cases was killed as a result of the disease in the Libyan capital Tripoli, in addition to the deaths, one in the city of Tobruk," near the Libyan-Egyptian border east of the country.

The minister pointed out that "the case is suspected of being infected with the disease were introduced to Tobruk Medical Center and continues to exist there," pointing out that he will go to Tobruk Sunday to find out the latest developments, and on to Cairo for a meeting of experts at the World Health Organization Regional Office in this regard.

On the other hand, stressed that his country Alaclai-free so far of Ebola epidemic which invades West Africa.

 

This report from NDTV (India):

4 Die of Bird Flu in Libya: Minister

World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: December 28, 2014 02:44 IST

Four people have died of bird flu in Libya in recent days, the health minister of the country's internationally recognised government said on Saturday.

Rida al-Awkali said a fifth person suspected of having contracted the virus is currently in hospital in the far eastern city of Tobruk.

Three of the victims died in the capital Tripoli, while the fourth died in Tobruk, he added, without saying which strain of the disease they caught.

(Continue . . . )

And this (machine translated)  report from the  http://www.tunisien.tn

Libya: Bird flu kills 4 people

Last updated: 12/27/2014

By Hadia Aezzqala | Posted in: Health , around the world

Causing an epidemic of bird flu today in the cities of Tripoli and Tobruk Allebian.fa the deaths of four people
and explained the Minister of Health Allepie satisfaction Alaclai, in a press statement on Saturday, he was informed the World Health Organization, which confirmed its part, send experts to Libya within 48 hours, and will work to remedy the situation .

OIE: Libya - 1st Outbreak Of HPAI H5N1 (In Poultry)

Credit OIE

 

# 8372  

 

My thanks to @Ironorehopper on FluTrackers for tweeting the link to this OIE report on Libya’s first recorded outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in poultry, on a farm near the Mediterranean coast - in the vicinity of Tubruq ( Kroum Alkhail ) , roughly 200 km west of the Egyptian border.

 

For now, this outbreak appears to be limited to the one location, but the event is continuing, and weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

 

 

 Epidemiology

• Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
  • Unknown or inconclusive

Control measures

• Measures applied
  • Stamping out
  • Quarantine
  • Movement control inside the country
  • Screening
  • Zoning
  • Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
  • Dipping / Spraying
  • Vaccination prohibited
  • No treatment of affected animals
• Measures to be applied
  • No other measures