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H5N1 Postive Patients Detected Across Turkey
Recombinomics Commentary
January 8, 2006
Ankara Governor Kemal Onal told the state-run Anatolia news agency on Sunday that two children and one adult had been diagnosed with the infection in the capital
The agency said a 5-year-old boy had also been admitted to hospital with suspected bird flu in Corum in central Turkey.
CNN Turk television said two of the three infected Ankara children had been brought to Ankara from nearby Beypazari after contact with dead wild birds.
The above reports indicate that H5N1 positive patients in Turkey are growing in numbers and geographical range.
Another media report indicated that the 4th confirmed H5N1 patient was Sumeyya Mumak. A 10 year old patient with a similar name, Sumeyya Pumak was listed among the first 22 patients admitted to the hospital in Van. Thus, it appears that neither Aysegul Ozkan nor other members of the Ozkan family are confirmed H5N1. However, the large number of patients at the Van hospital with pneumonia and bleeding throats, coupled with two family members in intensive care suggests that many or all admitted members of the Ozkan family will be H5N1 confirmed.
The latest news indicates the number of H5N1 positive patients is rapidly growing and are at several locations throughout Turkey. These data indicate that the H5N1 version that can efficient infect humans is being spread by migratory birds. The latest list of human cases H5N1 confirmed at Van or H5N1 positive elsewhere are below.
The number of H5N1 positive patients is of concern. The patients in Van and Corum are in locations where there have been no report H5N1 positive birds.
The efficient transmision of H5N1 to humans, as well as the lack of H5N1 positive birds linked to some cases, raise additional concerns of human-to-human transmission..
Confirmed H5N1 Patients at Van
Muhammed Ali Kocugit (14M) Dogubeyazit (deceased)
Fatima Kocugit (15F) Dogubeyazit (deceased)
Yusuf Tunc (5M) Dogubeyazit
Sumeyya Pumak (Mumak) (8/9/10F) Van
H5N1 positive elsewhere
Child sibling (5M) Beypazari
Child sibling (2M) Beypazari
Adult (60M) Ankara suburb
Child (5M) Corum
Map
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