Published Date: 2009-03-11 12:00:52
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, human (51): Egypt (MF) susp
Archive Number: 20090311.1007
AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (51): EGYPT: (MENOUFIA) SUSPECTED
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 10 Mar 2009
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation AlertNet [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LA88886.htm>
Egyptian girl contracts bird flu -- MENA agency report
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An 18-month-old Egyptian girl has contracted bird flu and is in
stable condition, the state-run news agency quoted the Egyptian
Health Ministry as saying on Tuesday [10 Mar 2009].
The Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported that the child, from the
[Menoufia] province in northern Egypt, showed symptoms after coming
into contact with dead birds.
She is the 58th case of bird flu in Egypt. She was given the
antiviral drug Tamiflu at an Egyptian hospital, MENA said. It was not
yet known if she had the H5N1 virus.
Egypt is one of the few countries affected by bird flu that does not
compensate farmers when poultry is destroyed, though many experts say
this is the best way to ensure rapid detection of new outbreaks. Some
5 million Egyptian households depend on poultry as a main source of
food and income.
Since 2003, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has infected at least 410
people in 15 countries and killed at least 254 of them. It has killed
or forced the culling of more than 300 million birds in 61 countries
in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
[Byline: Will Rasmussen]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[If confirmed, this patient will be the 58th human case of avian H5N1
recorded in Egypt since 2003. This case and the previous 2 cases have
been children less than 3 years of age.
The Governorate of Menoufia is located at no. 16 on the map of the
Governorates of Egypt at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Egypt>. - Mod.CP
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Egypt is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/006e>. - CopyEd.MJ]