Fatal H5N1 Encephalitis Case Raises Pandemic Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary
October 16, 2006
The "PCR test first, second, fourth, and the five results of the negative."
Only that third that said false positive or positive border line
The above description of the most recent confirmed H5N1 positive case raises additional questions about testing in Indonesia. The patient developed encephalitis and died. Multiple organs, including her brain were involved, yet most of the testing yielded negative results.
Negative results have also been reported for other severely ill contacts of H5N1 cases, incl;uding the large Garut cluster. These negatives, frequently in samples collected after Tamiflu treatment has started, continue to raise concerns on the true extent of H5N1 infection in Indonesia.
Sequencing data clearly show that the vast majority of cases are not linked to H5N1 positive poultry, yet a poultry link is usually required for H5N1 testing of patients with bird flu symptoms
Now H5N1 is being detected in patients with symptoms of encephalitis. The sole surving member of the Karo cluster also developed a brain infection, but that infection was said to be negative for H5N1.
The current H5N1 positive fatal encephalitis case increases concerns hat H5N1 in human is much greater than the number of WHO confirmed cases.
.
Media Sources
Phylogenetic Trees