Commentary
Fatal
H5N1
in Asyut Egypt
Recombinomics Commentary
20:50
December 15, 2008
Salem began suffering symptoms a week ago, after two of the household ducks died and the remainder of the flock was slaughtered in the house.
Salem was subsequently admitted to hospital with a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and then transferred to intensive care. She was treated with the antiviral drug tamiflu, but suffered a pulmonary infection and respiratory failure, and died on Monday.
The above comments describe a fatal H5N1 infection in central Egypt (see 2009 map). The timing of the infection is similar to last season, when cases were reported in December, which were mostly fatal. The recent frequency of H5N1 in Egypt is unclear, because H5N1 has been declared endemic, so OIE filings are only required on a six month schedule.
Egypt has implemented a robust vaccine program, but widespread vaccine resistant H5N1 was reported last December. This resistant strain was also found in Israel in early 2008.
H5N1 in Egypt is very heterogeneous and has become more complex each season. Recently, human sequences from last season were released.
Release of sequences from the current case would be useful.
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