Foreign epidobozrenie - Influenza H5N1, people (China, Indonesia)

[This ProMed article out of Russia, refers to Zhang (31) who died on 1/23. Since then, we have had Zhou (29) and Liang (18). A total of 7, with 5 deaths, 1 recovered, and 1 in treatment]

Foreign epidobozrenie - Influenza H5N1, people (China, Indonesia)
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Date: January 25, 2009
(1) Avian influenza - China, Indonesia
From: ProMED-mail correspondent BM
Source: IA «openbiz.com.ua», January 24, 2009 [Moderator NP]
http://www.utro.ru/articles/2009/01/24/793513.shtml

Avian flu attacked people
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Avian influenza, more than a year are not brought to mankind problems again on peredovitsah newspapers. Yesterday in China died
woman, which doctors had diagnosed a dangerous just two weeks ago. It was the fourth victim of the H5N1 virus from
the beginning of the year in China and fifth in the world. Cases of deaths from bird flu recorded in Indonesia, the infection --
in Egypt. The world started talking about a new spiral epidemic.

The sad statistics of the year is. Second of January in the town of Bekasi on the island of Java (Indonesia) died six
girl infected through contact with chicken bought at the market. It was the 115 victims of H5N1 in Indonesia. Fifth
January symptoms deadly disease detected in 27-year-old woman from the city Hinan in the Chinese province of Shandong.
She died on Jan. 17. Seventh January fell ill two-year-old girl in the province of Shanxi, now it is difficult
condition. Eighth January symptoms of bird flu appeared in 16-year-old resident of the province of Guizhou. A young man
infected by contact with poultry and was transported to a hospital in the province of Hunan. He died on January 20. Another victim
H5N1 - 19-year-old Chinese - died in Beijing after contact with ducks. All cases of infection confirmed by a national
Laboratory of China. It was also reported for the child, who was in critical condition, but it managed to save.
Ninth January, a new case of infection reported to the Ministry of Health of Egypt: the symptoms found in polutorogodovaloy girls.
Determine the cause - contact with sick and dead poultry.

The first human infection of bird flu virus strain H5N1 was detected in 1997 in Hong Kong. It was found that infection
mortally dangerous. The first epidemic began in 2004 when the disease has spread to poultry in Asia and Europe, and
infections and deaths increased. Since then, more than 250 of the nearly 400 known infections over death
patients. For example, in Indonesia, according to official data, as of today, 115 people died in China - 22, died in Egypt
23 patients. There are victims in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia.

The main concern of doctors is a mutation of the strain H5N1, from which it can spread from person to person.
The consequence of this change will be a pandemic of avian influenza, which the victims according to different estimates could be 30-40 million
person to a third of the population.

Chinese experts are worried that the worst has already happened. "At the moment we are concerned two issues. Firstly,
if the bird is not infected, and people did become ill, does it mean that the avian influenza virus
somehow mutated, or changed? - Said the Minister of Health and Food Industry of Hong Kong York Chow. --
And secondly, how likely that the birds can be carriers of the disease, but it does not have to die
and show no signs of H5N1 ".

(2) Avian influenza - China
From: ProMED-mail correspondent BM
Source: IA «openbiz.com.ua», January 24, 2009 [Moderator NP]
http://www.utro.ru/news/2009/01/24/793498.shtml

Avian flu claimed a fourth man's life since the beginning of the year
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Fourth from the beginning of the year deaths from bird flu reported in China. At this time the victim of the virus has become
a woman aged 31 years in the west. Symptoms of the disease among women appeared on 10 January, after which it was delivered
to the hospital.


[Commentary said. BM. The most unpleasant in the reported death of 4 people in China from bird flu, these deaths were a consequence of the disease in humans without any contact with sick birds. This allows scientists to think about the possibility of mutation, which allows the virus of avian influenza spread from person to cheloveu. Another possible cause of the current
the situation may be prolonged persistence of H5N1 avian influenza virus in the body of birds that do not result in the death of the owners.
In fact, in this case the birds were carrying the virus and constitute a "bacteriological weapons in slow motion", which can fire at any moment with new deaths in humans. Of course, there is no need to shoot all migratory birds,
but the problem has already been scheduled and it should be such as to solve. - Corr.VM]

[Comment Maud. OP. First year is already 6 cases of H5N1 influenza in humans reported in China (3 cases are still not officially announced by the WHO), 2 - Egypt (1 WHO has not yet officially announced), and 1 case for suspicious H5N1 in Indonesia and Nepal. Judging by the beginning of the year, the frequency of occurrence of the disease, a declining trend observed in the previous 2 years, and again started to gain momentum. Meanwhile, make such definitive conclusions have not, as the increase in cases of H5N1 influenza can be caused, and seasonality. The majority of cases in China have been linked to contact with poultry, which was not visible patient, ie infection in birds could take place in a latent form .- Mod.NP]