Bird Flu Leaves Three People Dead

Bird Flu Leaves Three People Dead





    
January 2007  - Three members of an 
extended family have died after being infected with H5N1 avian 
influenza, bringing the human toll in that nation to 18 cases 
and 10 deaths since February, when the disease was first 
reported in Egypt. The worldwide total since the latest 
outbreak began in December 2003 now stands at 261 human cases 
and 157 deaths. 
The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population has informed 
the World Health Organization, WHO, that while being 
transferred to and cared for at the country's designated avian 
influenza hospital, a 30 year old woman, a 15 year old girl 
and a 26 year old man died. 
The most recent death occurred on 27 December. 
A farmer's flock of ducks on Egypt's River Nile. (Photo 
courtesy Galenfry Singer) 
All three victims belong to a family in Gharbiyah province, 80 
kilometers (50 miles) northwest of the capital city, Cairo. 
The man and woman were siblings and the girl was their niece. 
The deceased reportedly had contact with sick ducks, according 
to the World Health Organization. 
Clinical specimens from the three cases tested positive for 
the H5N1 virus by Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratory. 
The virus also was detected in specimens from two of the three 
patients by U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No.3 in Cairo. 
The samples will be sent to a WHO Collaborating Centre for 
further testing including virus characterization. 
The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population is conducting 
further investigations and has initiated public health 
measures. The other family members remain healthy and have 
been placed under close observation. 
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a contagious disease of 
animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, 
less commonly, pigs. Bird flu viruses are highly 
species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the 
species barrier to infect humans. 
While these three deaths are believed to have followed 
exposure to sick poultry, experts fear the H5N1 virus could 
mutate into a form that is easily passed from person to 
person, initiating a pandemic. Public health scientists 
estimate such a pandemic could kill millions of people, many 
in the developing world, and have dire effects on social and 
economic systems. 
WHO explains that a pandemic can start when three conditions 
have been met - a new influenza virus subtype emerges; it 
infects humans, causing serious illness; and it spreads easily 
and sustainably among humans. 
Inspector in an African market checks ducks for signs of avian 
influenza. (Photo courtesy FAO) 
The H5N1 virus meets the first two conditions, WHO says. It is 
a new virus for humans - H5N1 viruses have never circulated 
widely among people - and it has infected more than 100 
humans, killing over half of them. No one will have immunity 
should an H5N1-like pandemic virus emerge. 
Avian influenza has reached more than 50 countries, and 
hundreds of millions of chickens have died or been culled to 
prevent the spread of the virus. Estimated related financial 
losses are in the tens of billions of dollars. 
The World Bank's Avian and Human Influenza Facility, AHI, said 
Thursday that six grants with a total value of $28 million 
have been approved to help 13 countries fight the threat posed 
by avian and human influenza. 
The facility, a grant-making mechanism supported by the 
European Commission and seven other donors, helps countries 
implement action plans to reduce the social and economic 
impact of avian influenza and minimize the possible outbreak 
of a human flu pandemic. 
"The bank is pleased that these grants are designed to foster 
intra-regional cooperation, given the emerging threats of 
trans-boundary animal health issues," said AHI Facility 
Administrator David Potten said. 
Vietnam will receive $10 million to provide for early 
detection and response to human cases and to prepare for 
medical consequences of a possible human pandemic. 
Animal health technicians disinfect a farm in Tien Giang 
province, near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where carcasses of 
ducks that died of or were culled because of avian flu have 
been burned and buried. (Photo courtesy FAO) 
In Vietnam, thousands of ducks and chickens were killed and a 
few areas were disinfected after the first outbreak of bird 
flu last year was suspected on December 11, 2006 in Ca Mau, 
Bac Lieu and Hau Giang, the three provinces of the Mekong 
delta. 
Vietnam is known for its extensive usage of poultry 
vaccination and careful surveillance since 42 human deaths out 
of 91 cases were reported between late 2003 and the end of 
2005. 
Indonesia will receive $10 million to reduce the amount of 
virus circulating in the environment and its possible mutation 
to a form easily transmissible among people. 
Of the 74 human cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 56 have 
been fatal. The latest fatality occurred in a 30 month old boy 
from Karawang in West Java Province who died on November 13, 
2006. Chicken deaths were reported near his home in the days 
before he developed symptoms. 
Afghanistan will receive $5 million to control infections 
among birds and domestic poultry and to prepare responses to 
possible human infection and related emergencies. No human 
cases of bird flu have been reported in Afghanistan. 
Tajikistan will receive $1.5 million to minimize the threat to 
humans by highly pathogenic avian influenza infection and 
other animal diseases. No human cases have been reported in 
Tajikistan. 
The Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance 
will receive $1 million to help facilitate information 
exchanges among Jordan, Israel and West Bank and Gaza. 
And $500,000 will help strengthen the Southern Agricultural 
Council for Avian Flu Preparedness in Chile, Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.