Suspect H5N1 Clusters in Egypt Exceed Official Count
Recombinomics Commentary 16:11
January 8, 2008
Reservation has been 15 cases of 5 governorates, namely: Qena, Menya, Sohag, West (AL GHARBIYAH), and the lake (BEHEIRA) hospital on suspicion sickened
He was taken to hospital salt Qena, yesterday, both Mayada Abdel Fattah Abdel Hearing (13 months), and Fatima Yusuf Ahmed Abu Hassan (student AZHAR), and Hanan Ahmed Mahmoud (housewives) and Sadli Sayed Abdel Karim Younis (11 years old), Kenya Abulhasan (10 years old) and arrows (3 years old), located Mohammed Faris Abdul (12 years old) and Kawther Mohammed Ahmed Mustapha (housewives) on suspicion of illness bird flu symptoms after the emergence of some of them, while blood samples were taken and sent them to laboratories of the Ministry of Health for analysis , the statement sickened or not.
Resulted currencies preventive heat executed 170 chickens and 25 pigeon nests and remove 20 random Btnta the epidemic has struck the four corners maintaining the detention of 11 cases were suspected of carrying the disease in a hospital in salt Mahala and 7 cases Hospital Dietetic Tanta and two al-Azhar, one case in the district were detained 4 new cases and send samples to make sure sickened to the central Ministry of Health laboratories.
In East (ASH SHARQIYAH) have been detained 4 cases suspected of carrying the disease pathogenesis Zagazig hospital, and they Mohammed Saeed »30 years« of Zagazig, Mr. Suad »31 years« of the Abrahamic and Fatima Mitwalli »38 years« wheat from semen samples were taken and sent to labs central Ministry of Health
The above translations describe a continuous rise in hospitalized suspect H5N1 cases in Egypt (see detail in satellite map). The first estimate is the official composite number of 15 patients in 5 governorates, but the descriptions in local media indicate the number is significantly higher. One list details eight new patients admitted to one hospital in Qena, while another report breaks down the admission of over twenty patients into three or more hospitals in Gharbiya. Another paper details four new patients admitted into Ash Sharqiyah, which is not one of the five governorates listed. Thus, the number admitted yesterday was 2-3 times the 15 listed in the official composite.
Although the number of hospitalized patients continues to accelerate on a daily basis, there have been no announcements of confirmed cases in over a week. Although these admissions follow announcements of new poultry cases, they may represent increased awareness due to government announcement for early treatment, coupled with daily media reports of new confirmed H5N1 outbreaks in poultry (see satellite map on poultry outbreaks).
However, as seen in the first paragraphs, the specifics on the admissions are not always given, and the number of patients transferred to the Abbassia Fever Hospital in Cairo has not been announced. Media reports indicate some patients are being re-tested, but since these patients are being placed on Tamiflu, re-tests will likely confirm the negative result, including patients who have been tested early. Moreover, some fatal cases, like one of the members of the Gharbiya cluster test negative, even though there was little doubt that they were fatality infected with H5N1, as was seen in the fatal infections of two H5N1 positive family members.
The sequences of the new infections may also be a concern. The outbreak in Romania just over a month ago was due to the Uva Lake strain, which has become dominant in Europe. Since it was also in Kuwait, it is likely in Saudi Arabia and Egypt this year. Testing for this new strain, which hasn’t been reported in Egypt previously, may be limiting detection in patients.
Thus, the continue acceleration of admitted patients remains a cause for concern. More information on patient’s symptoms, as well as transfers to the Abbassia hospital would be useful.
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