Sixteen New Suspect H5N1 Cases in Egypt
Recombinomics Commentary 12:04
January 3, 2008
Rose on the government and its state of emergency in the provinces, to cope with bird flu, which has returned strongly. Hospitals have detained 16 cases in 5 provinces, were suspected of being infected with the disease. Dr. Hatem and threatened mountain, Minister of Health, to take "violent actions", against any man who is careless about the application instructions for combating the disease.
Detained Hospital Dietetic Mahala 6 cases were suspected of being infected with bird flu, and detained Sadr Hospital in Mansoura 6 other cases, detained in hospital in Sadr Ismailia two other cases, and detained Hospital Qena case, in addition to another case in a hospital salt Menoufiya, were sent samples of infected blood factor and the central Ministry of Health for analysis.
The provinces: Aswan and Damietta and Port Said and Damietta and the city of Luxor raises the state of emergency, and to take preventive action to prevent the spread of the disease.
The above translation describes 16 new suspect cases in 5 governorates, which are in addition to the cases announced in the past few days (see satellite map). This dramatic rise increases pandemic concerns. Although Egypt has had a large number of suspect cases previously, the numbers generally track with seasonal flu and peak in March or April. The rise in suspect cases many be due in part to heightened awareness stemming from the dramatic increase in H5N1 on commercial farms and backyard holdings (see satellitle map), as well as the four deaths in the five confirmed cases which were recently announced.
As noted, samples have been sent to central labs for testing, and new confimed cases have not been announced since the beginning of the week, but there have been few announcements of patients testing negative.
H5 has been confirmed at a petting zoo in Israel, and the culling in Saudi Arabia has been extensive recently. It is likely that H5N1 is widespread in the Middle East, but thus far only Egypt has announced confirmed cases.
More information on the suspect cases, including negative results, would be useful.
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