Jim Wappes 
Editorial Director
Apr 11, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed four new H5N1 avian flu cases in Egypt—including a fatality—and one nonfatal case in Bangladesh.
The cases raise Egypt's H5N1 case total this year to 22 and Bangladesh's to 2. In addition, the WHO posted an official notice on its Web site today of a Cambodia case that it had jointly confirmed with Cambodia's Ministry of Health last week.
4 Egyptian cases, 1 death
The WHO revealed this information on the four Egyptian case-patients:
- A 20-year-old woman from Beheira governorate fell ill Mar 14 and was hospitalized Mar 19. She was listed in critical condition and died Mar 28.
- A 2-year-old girl from Menoufia governorate had symptoms Mar 26 and was hospitalized Mar 27. She is listed in stable condition and still under treatment.
- A 55-year-old woman from Beheira governorate first experienced symptoms Mar 20 and was hospitalized Mar 22. She recovered and was discharged Apr 5, according to the report.
- A 1-year-old boy from Fayoum governorate first had symptoms Mar 20 and was hospitalized Mar 28. He is still under treatment in stable condition.
Source investigations revealed that all had exposure to sick or dead poultry suspected to have avian influenza, according to the WHO report. In addition, all four had received oseltamivr (Tamiflu) in the hospital.
In the past 2 weeks the WHO has confirmed 11 Egyptian cases, including 2 fatalities. Five of those 11 patients have been from Beheira governorate.
Of the 22 H5N1 cases this year in Egypt, 6 have been fatal. Since 2006 the country has logged 141 WHO-confirmed H5N1 cases and 46 deaths, second only to Indonesia (176) in total cases and third to Indonesia (145) and Vietnam (59) in fatal cases.
Bangladesh's 2nd case in 2011
The WHO also reported that Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has confirmed the country's second H5N1 case this year, in a 2-year-old boy from Kamalapur, Dhaka.
He experienced avian-flu symptoms Mar 1 and visited the country's influenza sentinel surveillance site on Mar 9, where samples were obtained. The country's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research confirmed H5N1 in the samples.
A detailed investigation revealed exposure to sick poultry but no other cases.
The WHO confirmed Bangladesh's previous case, in a 16-month-old girl, on Mar 16, the same day that the 2-year-old's now-confirmed infection was reported in the media. Today's WHO report states, "Although the case is from the same locality as the previous case they had no direct contact with each other."
Bangladesh's only other H5N1 case was confirmed in 2008. It, too, was nonfatal.
Cambodia's latest case logged
In a third report released today, the WHO verified, as reported in the media Apr 6, that Cambodia's Ministry of Health in conjunction with the WHO has confirmed a fatal H5N1 case in an 11-year-old girl in the Steung Trang district of Kampong Cham Province.
She first experienced symptoms Mar 22 and was first treated by local villagers before being admitted to a local hospital Mar 29. Upon treatment failure she was transferred to a regional hospital Mar 31, where she died the same day.
The report did not specify her treatment but said all contacts with the girl have tested negative for H5N1 infection.
Hers is the fourth H5N1 case in Cambodia this year, and all have proved fatal. Since 2005 the country has confirmed 14 H5N1 cases, including 12 deaths.
With the additional cases, the global H5N1 count has reached 549 cases and 320 deaths. Thirty-three of those cases and 14 of the deaths came this year.
See also:
Apr 11 WHO Egyptian report
Apr 11 WHO Bangladeshi report
Apr 11 WHO Cambodian report
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