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Fourth Fatal Suspect H5N1 Bird Flu Case in Azerbaijan
Recombinomics Commentary
March 10, 2006
On Friday 16-year old Shahriyar Asgarov, the resident of the Daikand village, Salyan region, died of double pneumonia and lung deficiency
The above comments increase the number of suspect bird flu deaths in Azerbaijan to four. Media reports indicated the latest fatality had collected dead swans in the area. Moreover, the name similarity to Nabat Askerova (20F) who had died earlier suggest these two fatalities may be part of the 8 member familial cluster.
Samples from the deceased and hospitalized have been sent to Weybridge for testing. However, the descriptions sound like the large cluster in Turkey.
S227N was identified in the index case in that cluster. Although WHO has indicated that S227N has not become fixed in H5N1 in the region, none of the sequences from humans in Turkey or Iraq have been made available outside of the private database maintained by WHO.
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These sequences should be released immediately.
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