Likely H5N1 In Manipur Village With Hospitalized Patients

Recombinomics Commentary 01:21
January 7, 2009

they complained of severe headache, cough, while some felt unconscious after vomiting, the symptoms of which were similar to avian flu.

The findings suggested that the disease was “very close to avian influenza”.

“We found the symptom to be very similar to the avian influenza as many chicken were also found dead during the last few days in the village” said Dr. Piang. Villagers said 12 chickens died yesterday.

The above comments strongly suggest the poultry in the Misao Lhavom village near Churachandpur, Manipur (see updated map) is infected with H5N1. These infections are not a surprise because of the proximity of the village to confirmed H5N1 in adjacent countries or districts, or the excessive poultry deaths in southern Tripura.

The symptoms in the villagers are also consistent with H5N1. However, India has never reported H5N1 in humans or migratory birds, and these failures are testing related. Human H5N1 is detected with a throat swab, but the media reports describe blood collections from the patients and poultry.

Poultry also tests negative in blood tests because the birds die before antibody levels reach detectable levels. All initial H5N1 positive poultry in Assam was detected via tests on tissue samples, not serum samples.

The large number of patients with symptoms is unusual. In 2005 there were large numbers of symptomatic patients in central and northern Vietnam, but those were mild cases and details of test results were never disclosed.

The increase in the number of cases in Manipur is alarming, and serious testing is required.