Recombinomics: Three Dhaka Bangladesh H5N1 Outbreaks Cause Concern

Commentary

Three Dhaka Bangladesh H5N1 Outbreaks Cause Concern
Recombinomics Commentary 08:08
December 15, 2008

Three recent H5N1 outbreaks in and around Dhaka, Bangladesh were reported today in the update by the Ministries of Fisheries and Livestock. Details on the size of the outbreaks are lacking and they have not yet been described in the Bangladesh situation update by WHO South-East Asia Regional Office. The most recent outbreak describe was confirmed December 2 and was in the northern district of Rangpur. The three recent outbreaks were in Narsingdhu, Dhamrai, and Pallabi (see updated map).

The Pallabi outbreak is adjacent to the National Zoo in Dhaka and a few miles from the Zia International Airport (see Dhaka map).

The three outbreaks close to Dhaka suggests there are more unreported outbreaks in the area. These three outbreaks are reported days after the outbreak in the north and raise concerns that the spread in Bangladesh will be similar to the rapid spread in Assam. Moreover, the explosion of outbreaks in Malda, West Bengal has produced panic there.

The relationship between symptomatic cases in Assam to the rapidly spreading outbreaks in poultry remains unclear. Most have been identified by survey, and the extent of testing remains unclear. Samples were collected from the symptomatic cullers in Chirang, but India has never reported a human H5N1 case, or anything other than dead or dying poultry, so testing remains suspect.

Independent testing of symptomatic patients in Assam, as well as detail on the outbreaks in or near Dhaka would be useful, as would sequence data on the H5N1 isolates from India and Bangladesh.
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