Egyptian govt reports 2 human bird flu cases

[Sharpe]

Further information awaited.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...343646,00.html
2 Egyptians infected with bird flu

Published:

12.23.06, 22:17

Egyptian health authorities reported that two more people were infected with the bird flu virus (H5N1). The two apparently contracted the disease after coming in contact with infected ducks.

The number of infected Egyptians has now reached 17; seven of them have died from the disease. (AFP)

[Sharpe]

More information. Patients from Hanut, Gharbiya.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061223...gypt&printer=1
Egypt reports two new human cases of bird flu

38 minutes ago

Two Egyptians were taken to hospital after testing positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the central Nile delta region, the health ministry said.

The latest cases brings to 17 the total number of Egyptians infected, including seven who were killed by the virus.

The two Egyptians from the village of Hanut in the Gharbiya governorate contracted the disease after coming into contact with infected ducks they had been rearing in their homes, according to a ministry statement carried by the official MENA agency.

All the birds in the house and in neighbouring homes were slaughtered and the area disinfected, MENA said.

Egypt -- the Arab world's most populous state -- is on a major route for migratory birds and has seen the third highest number of H5N1 cases after Indonesia and China according to Dr David Nabarro, the UN official charged with battling bird flu.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu was first diagnosed in birds in Egypt in February, and the first case in humans was announced on March 18.

In its most aggressive form, the H5N1 strain has killed 154 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...ypt_2_New.html

[Mellie]

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Two New Egyptian Patients
Recombinomics Commentary
December 23, 2006


The two Egyptians from the village of Hanut in the Gharbiya governorate contracted the disease after coming into contact with infected ducks they had been rearing in their homes, according to a ministry statement carried by the official MENA agency.

The above description of two confirmed H5N1 cases is cause for concern. These two patients are from the same governate as the first confirmed case for this season. H5N1 from that case had many of the Egyptian associated polymorphisms seen in February 2006 human and bird isolates from Egypt.

However, the more recent isolate had several additional polymorphisms, including M230I, which is found in all human strains of influenza (H3N2, H1N1, and Influenza B). Moreover, the new acquisition creates of region of identity (QSGRI) at positions 226-230 in Influenza B.

The earlier isolate also has many additional polymorphisms that are found in isolates from Europe and western Africa, signaling additional recombination and acquisition of new polymorphisms circulating in the area. Recent reports describe additional receptor binding domain changes which increase the affinity for human receptors, including S227N in Egypt and Turkey, N186K in Azerbaijan, and N186S and Q196R in Iraq. Although these countries have not reported H5N1 this season, reports of H5N1 in Ukraine, Egypt, Sudan, and Nigeria signal new migration of H5N1 into the region, which has also been recently reported in South Korea and southern Vietnam. These new outbreaks signal migration of new H5N1 sequences into these regions.

Surveillance remains poor and transparency is becoming increasingly suspect.

Release of the recent sequence by US NAMRU3 has set an excellent example for this season. Release of H5N1 from the two new cases as well as poultry and wild birds in the region by Egypt and neighbors would be useful.

[Theresa42]

Originally Posted by Sharpe

More information. Patients from Hanut, Gharbiya.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061223...gypt&printer=1
Egypt reports two new human cases of bird flu

38 minutes ago

Two Egyptians were taken to hospital after testing positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the central Nile delta region, the health ministry said.

The latest cases brings to 17 the total number of Egyptians infected, including seven who were killed by the virus.

The two Egyptians from the village of Hanut in the Gharbiya governorate contracted the disease after coming into contact with infected ducks they had been rearing in their homes, according to a ministry statement carried by the official MENA agency.

All the birds in the house and in neighbouring homes were slaughtered and the area disinfected, MENA said.

Egypt -- the Arab world's most populous state -- is on a major route for migratory birds and has seen the third highest number of H5N1 cases after Indonesia and China according to Dr David Nabarro, the UN official charged with battling bird flu.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu was first diagnosed in birds in Egypt in February, and the first case in humans was announced on March 18.

In its most aggressive form, the H5N1 strain has killed 154 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A "new hotbed of avian influenza" in Al Gharbiya was mentioned in Al Wafd on Dec 10th -- the report specifically mentioned ducks, so I'm guessing this is the same incident. In the newspaper report, though, it sounded like any people who had been tested tested negative:

Google-translated from Arabic:

New hotbed of avian influenza enough
Dec 10, 2006

Mustafa wrote: Sanaa announced the Supreme Committee for avian flu headed by Dr. Hatim al-Jabali, minister of health and population emergence of a new hotbed of avian influenza in the province of Western [I think this is Al Gharbiyah] and injured birds included home village Aldjomon stab Zayyat, and the teams of the Ministry of Health and veterinary services, police called in to destroy infected birds and poultry-breeding places clean. Also check Almkhalten pen and ducks injured were sent samples to labs central Ministry of Health.

It also announced that the safety of human cases infected suspected cases of avian flu and Almkhalten of birds Navqh, following the results of the samples negative for the disease ...

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...37&postcount=4

Thanks for posting the news, Sharpe!

[Theresa42]

Looks like there are (at least) 3 individuals involved in this cluster -- two male cousins aged 15 and 25 who have tested positive -- and a sister of one of the confirmed cases:

Hospitalized Dec 17:
Farid Abdul Halim's victory (30F?) - suspected case
brother - Reda Farid (25M) - H5N1 pos

Hospitalized Dec 20:
cousin of the 2 above - Shafika Farid (15M) - H5N1 pos


Machine-translated from Arabic:

The injury of a young man and his cousin with "my wedding procession" by the bird flu
Dec 24, 2006

Tanta - Atef Deibis: The Ministry of Health laboratories revealed the injury of a young man "25 years" and his cousin 15 years with "my wedding procession" [I'm guessing this is the name of the village that they're from] by the bird flu disease and have been transferred yesterday to the hospital of the Abbasid fevers and with them the sister of the first injured and who has been detained under the suspicion.

The Health Department by the western has detained in 17 December Farid Abdul Halim's victory 30 years and its brother Reda 25 years in "my wedding procession" fevers hospital and in 20 December detained their cousin Shafika Farid 15 years under the suspicion and taking samples took place from them for its sending to the ministry laboratories. Revealed yesterday due to the examination of conditions Reda Farid's injury and his cousin Shafika by the bird flu disease which led to causing a panic and the fear of citizens and especially after the detention of two new conditions took place in Tanta [I think this means 2 more suspected cases, in addition to the 3 in the Farid family] and the district and immediately stood Doctor Al Sayed Al Husseini the Ministry of Health deputy and sublime opened the door center president and "my wedding procession" city with the formation of a committee for the examination of all contacts and the execution of birds in the scope of half kilo from the injury focus and taking samples from all of the contacts in the village of "a shop disbelief".

And a condition of the panic dominates after the discovery of positive cases to the bird flu disease and the local council of the governorate demanded the necessity of emphasizing on the closure of selling shops the adder and that was still open until now despite the presence of a decision with the ban and the discussion of the alive birds in the markets.

http://www.alwafd.org/v2/News/NewsDe...5a3b1b811b081b

[HenryN]

Tanta is in the Gharbiya govenorate also

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/featur...ata=7429810870

[Theresa42]

Originally Posted by niman

Tanta is in the Gharbiya govenorate also

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/featur...ata=7429810870

Yes -- so it looks like these patients were first in Tanta hospital and when they tested pos they were transferred to Abbasid Fevers Hosp (I think that's in Cairo).

Their village >>
Kafr Hanut:
http://www.indexmundi.com/z/?lat=30....&cc=eg&c=egypt

[HenryN]

Commentray at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...t_Cluster.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentray at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...t_Cluster.html

Commentary

H5N1 Familial Cluster in Nile Delta Raises Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary
December 23, 2006

Tanta - Atef Deibis: The Ministry of Health laboratories revealed the injury of a young man "25 years" and his cousin 15 years with "my wedding procession" by the bird flu disease and have been transferred yesterday to the hospital of the Abbasid fevers and with them the sister of the first injured and who has been detained under the suspicion.

The Health Department by the western has detained in 17 December Farid Abdul Halim's victory 30 years and its brother Reda 25 years in "my wedding procession" fevers hospital and in 20 December detained their cousin Shafika Farid 15 years under the suspicion and taking samples took place from them for its sending to the ministry laboratories. Revealed yesterday due to the examination of conditions Reda Farid's injury and his cousin Shafika by the bird flu disease which led to causing a panic and the fear of citizens and especially after the detention of two new conditions took place in Tanta

The above translation indicates the two H5N1 confirmed cases are cousins and were hospitalized three days apart. The index case (25M) was hospitalized December 17 and his cousin (15M) , hospitalized December 20 have confirmed H5N1. The sister of the index case has also been hospitalized with symptoms. There appear to be two more suspect cases hospitalized, indicating the three member familiar cluster may be part of a five member geographical cluster.

Clustering in the same Gharbiya govenorate as the earlier case is cause for concern. The current cluster as well as the initial case had linkages to ducks and the H5N1 from the first case had M230I. This polymorphism is found in all three strains of human flu (H3N2, H1N1, and influenza B), all of which are efficiently transmitted human-to-human. The earlier H5N1 is an exact match with positions 226-230 influenza B (QSGRI). The first indication of efficient transmission is a familial cluster, as described in the translation above.

More details on condition of the sister and any relationship with the other two hospitalized patients would be useful (as would tesing and sequencing updates).

.

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by Theresa42

Yes -- so it looks like these patients were first in Tanta hospital and when they tested pos they were transferred to Abbasid Fevers Hosp (I think that's in Cairo).

Their village >>
Kafr Hanut:
http://www.indexmundi.com/z/?lat=30....&cc=eg&c=egypt

The distance between the current cluster and the earlier case with M230I is only about 12 miles, as the migratory birds fly down the Nile.

[HenryN]

Another translation

Injury of youth and daughter of wandering in asphalts [b'anflwnzaa] the birds

[TnTaa] Atif [de'bs]:
Treated ministry of the health discovered injury of youth” 25 year “and daughter of wandering 15 year in asphalts in illness of influenza the birds and their transfer was complete yesterday to hospital of feverish [aale'baasyt] and with them sister stricken first and which retention under the suspecting was complete her.

Directorate of the health in the Westerner was detained on December 17 unique triumph AbdulHalim 30 year and her brother accepted 25 feverish year in hospital adequate asphalts December 20 their daughter detained of uncle [shfyqt] unique 15 year under the suspecting and taking of samples are complete from them for sending her for factories of the ministry.

Their her samples of blessing for sending for treated of the ministry. Discovered yesterday result examination of the cases is unique injury of satisfaction and daughter of wandering [shfyqt] in illness influenza of the birds [mmaa] ['adY] ['ilY] excitement of fear and fear of the citizens and regards after retention cases of new was complete in [TnTaa] and the district, ibexes effervescent medals opening of the door rose the sovereign doctor Al-Husseini agent ministry of the health concentrated head and asphalt city in formation of committee to examined all [aalmxaalTyn] and execution of the birds in range of half kilo from center of the injury and taking of samples from all [aalmxaalTyn] bovine hamlet [Haanwt].

The emphasis on locking reigns positive case from the fear after discovery of cases for illness influenza of the birds and local student the council for the preservation necessarily sweetened live selling the birds and which [maazaalt] open still in spite of presence of decision in prohibition and circulating the live birds in the markets

[AlaskaDenise]

Discussion of these cases is at the discussion thread.
See http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14446

.

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...Egypt_RBD.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...Egypt_RBD.html

Commentary

Co-Circulation of Qinghai H5N1 RBD Changes in Nile Delta

Recombinomics Commentary
December 23, 2006

The report of a growing H5N1human cluster in the Nile Delta is cause for concern. The first case for this season in the region was a patient who live 12 miles north of the current cluster. That patient was hospitalized at the end of September and was confirmed in the middle of the month. Within days of the confirmation, the HA sequences was deposited at GenBank by US NAMRU3, the US Naval Research lab in Cairo. The sequence produced evidence for evolution via recombination. The Egyptian regional polymorphisms defined last season when human isolates were reported in February. The recent isolate also had a number of additional polymorphism which were in other Qinghai isolates in Europe and Africa.

The acquisition of polymorphisms via recombination creates additional concerns because of the receptor binding changes in Qinghai isolates in the region. PB2 E627K has become fixed in the Qinghai strain. This mammalian polymorphism allows H5N1 to grow more efficiently at lower temperatures, as found in humans (37 C) relative to birds (41 C). The preference for a lower temperature selects for E627K in humans. All human influenza isolates have E627K.However. isolates from last season had a number of additional changes in the receptor binding domain. Lab experiments identified several changes that increase affinity for human receptors. These include S227N was has been detected in human Qinghai isolates in Egypt and Turkey. Similarly, N186K has been found in H5N1 from patients in Azerbaijan. In Iraq the same position is changes to N186S in all human isolates, and two had the additional change of Q196R, which has been shown to synergize with S227N.

Moreover, the recent isolate from Egypt has M230I, which is found in all human flu isolates (H1N1, H3N3, influenza B. Thus, further recombination between co-circulating Qinghai isolates can lead to more efficient human-to-human transmission. In the past, there have been few clusters reported in Egypt. The confirmed cluster of two is the largest in Egypt. If the sister of the index is H5N1 positive, the current cluster will be the largest reported for Egypt. The patients also appear to be developing symptoms sequentially, providing additional evidence for human-to-human transmission. It is unclear if the two additional patients are related to the three described in more detail. However, all five either live or have been hospitalized in a region that is close to the first confirmed case with M230I. These three confirmed and one suspect case all live adjacent to the Nile and have a linkage to ducks.

Last year at this time, low path H5 and Qinghai H5N1 were identified in wild ducks (teal) in Egypt. It is likely that H5N1 is widespread in the region, although only Egypt, Sudan, and Nigeria have reported cases in Africa. None of the countries in the Middle East have reported H5N1, although H5N1 was widespread in Turkey at this time last year and was subsequently found in neighboring countries such was Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, and Israel.

The extent of H5N1 spread in these regions in this year is unclear because these countries have not detected or report the H5N1 which is clearly circulating in the area. This lack of transparency in the region, coupled with a confirmed human cluster in Egypt is cause for concern.

One year ago the first human cases of Qinghai infections were reported in Turkey. Neighboring countries subsequently began reporting H5N1 infections In January and February of this year. The first fatality in Egypt did not lead to widespread reporting of H5N1 outbreaks in the area. However, the current cluster may lead to more transparency in the region.

H5N1 does not read press releases or media reports. It continues to acquire new polymorphisms via recombination, and the number of such changes in the receptor binding domain of Qinghai H5N1 co-circulating in the Middle East, including Egypt, remains alarmingly high.

,

[AlaskaDenise]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2462395.htm

CAIRO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Egypt has detected two new human cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, both in a single household that raised ducks, a World Health Organisation official said on Sunday.


Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance at the World Health Organisation, said the two people had tested positive for the avian influenza virus.


The new infections bring the total number of human cases in Egypt to 17, of whom seven have died since the virus first surfaced in Egyptian poultry in February.


The two cases were a brother and sister from a village near the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Cairo.

.

[AlaskaDenise]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/arti...orld-C3-More-8

Egypt detects two new human H5N1 bird flu cases

Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:54 AM GMT

CAIRO (Reuters) - A brother and sister in Egypt have tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, a World Health Organisation official said on Sunday.

The siblings are from a village near the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Cairo, Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance at the WHO, said.

Bushra said the family raised ducks, and the brother, 26, and sister, 15, had slaughtered the flock after a number of ducks had become sick and died.

Both have been moved to hospitals in Cairo and have been treated with the drug Tamiflu, with the rest of the family being kept under medical surveillance, Bushra said.



The new infections bring the total number of human cases in Egypt to 17, of whom seven have died since the virus first surfaced in Egyptian poultry in February.

The initial bird flu outbreak caused panic in Egypt, where poultry is a major source of protein, and poor families frequently breed chicken and ducks domestically in cities and rural areas to supplement their diet and income.

The Egyptian cabinet announced in November that the country's poultry production had recovered to almost the same level as before the deadly virus hit in February.

An official with the Food and Agriculture Organisation had said in October that the onset of cooler weather could cause a flare-up of cases in poultry

.

[Dutchy]

Egypt detects third new human H5N1 bird flu case

24 Dec 2006 08:07:03 GMT

CAIRO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Egypt has detected a third new case of the H5N1 bird flu virus, just hours after confirming two new cases in a brother and sister, a World Health Organisation official said on Sunday.

Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance at the WHO said the three cases were from the same household, which houses an extended family of 33 people living together in a village in Egypt's Gharbiya province.

Bushra said the family raised ducks, and had slaughtered the flock after a number of ducks had become sick and died.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24658408.htm

[Dutchy]

Three in Egypt family test postive for bird flu-WHO

24 Dec 2006 08:48:03 GMT

CAIRO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Three members of the same family in Egypt have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu, a World Health Organisation official said on Sunday.

The WHO earlier said a brother, 26, and sister, 15, had the virus and then said a third relative, a woman aged 30, had contracted it.

All three are from the same extended family of 33 living in a single house in a village near the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Cairo, Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance at the WHO, said.

Bushra said the family raised ducks, and the brother and sister had slaughtered the flock after a number of ducks had become sick and died.

The three have been moved to a hospital in Cairo and have been treated with the drug Tamiflu, with the rest of the family being kept under close medical surveillance, Bushra said.

The new infections bring the total number of human cases in Egypt to 18, of whom seven have died since the virus first surfaced in Egyptian poultry in February.

The initial bird flu outbreak caused panic in Egypt, where poultry is a major source of protein, and poor families frequently breed chicken and ducks domestically in cities and rural areas to supplement their diet and income.

The Egyptian cabinet announced in November that the country's poultry production had recovered to almost the same level as before the deadly virus hit in February.

An official with the Food and Agriculture Organisation had said in October that the onset of cooler weather could cause a flare-up of cases in poultry.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24166943.htm

[HenryN]

Three members of extended family in Egypt test positive for bird flu, WHO says
The Associated Press
Sunday, December 24, 2006

CAIRO, Egypt Three members of an extended family living together in the same house in Egypt have tested positive for the bird flu, a World Health Organization official said on Sunday.
A sister, 15, and brother, 26, and a 30-year-old woman were diagnosed over the past week with the lethal H5N1 virus, said Hassan el-Bushra, a WHO regional adviser.

The three lived with 30 other family members in the same house in the Gharbiya province, north of Cairo, with several ducks, three of which died recently, he said.
The 30-year-old woman was hospitalized on Dec. 17 but did not tell health officials until a few days later that she had been in contact with birds. The two others were hospitalized shortly after, el-Bushra said.


All three have been transferred to a hospital in Cairo, and the 30-year-old woman was in good conition. El-Bushra did not know the conditions of the other two and said the rest of the family is being monitored.

The latest cases bring the number of Egyptians who have contracted the avian flu to 18, el-Bushra said. Seven have since died.

Bird flu was first detected in Egypt in February and has spread to at least 19 of the country's 26 provinces. Egypt lies on a migratory route for wild birds.

The discovery of avian flu in the Middle East has led to widespread culling of birds. The H5N1 strain has hit at least 45 countries and killed more than 150 people worldwide.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/...t_Bird_Flu.php

[HenryN]

Egypt reports three human bird flu cases
Cairo, Dec. 24 (Xinhua): Egypt detected three new human bird flu cases, all of whom came from a family in the Egyptian Delta governorate of Gharbiya, some 90 km north of Cairo, Cairo office of the World Health Organization (WHO) told Xinhua on Sunday.

The WHO in Egypt said two of the three infected people had slaughtered the poultry after some ducks had become sick and died.

However, a statement released by the Egyptian Health Ministry on Saturday said only two persons were tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus strain after contacting infected domestic birds.

They were admitted to Cairo's Abbasiya fever hospital. And medical teams were sent to the infected area to cull all birds around and examine people handling poultry.

With the three new infections, Egypt has reported a total of 18 human bird flu cases.

Egypt found the first bird flu case in dead poultry on Feb. 17, 2006 and then the virus spread to 20 of the country's 26 governorates.
The populous Arab country reported first human bird flu case on March 18 of 2006. Since then, seven people have died of the fatal virus in the country.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus...0612241624.htm

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...ypt_3_New.html

[HenryN]

Bird flu confirmed in Egypt trio

Three members of an Egyptian family have tested positive for the virulent H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.


A 30-year-old woman was first treated on 17 December, before a brother and sister, aged 26 and 15, fell ill.

The World Health Organization confirmed the test results on the three, who live with 30 other family members raising poultry in a town north of Cairo.

The positive tests raise to 18 the total number of human cases in Egypt. Seven of those people have died.

The family live together in one house in the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province, about 80km (50 miles) north of Cairo.

Family farm

A WHO official said the family raised ducks, and the brother and sister had become infected after slaughtering the flock in an effort to stem the spread of the H5N1 virus.

The 30-year-old woman, who also developed symptoms, is recovering well in a Cairo hospital, said Hassan el-Bushra, a WHO regional adviser.

Three of the family's ducks had died of the virus, he added.

Egypt is a major route for migratory birds and is one of the countries worst hit by the virus outside Asia.

Government officials had hoped an initial outbreak of H5N1 among poultry in February had been contained and would not further affect the country's food supply.
In the Middle East, the disease is also known to be present in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.


Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...st/6207797.stm


Published: 2006/12/24 12:42:38 GMT

[HenryN]

Another translation of yesterday's report

A young man and injuring his cousin Pzfti avian influenza

طنطا ـ عاطف دعبس: Tanta Atef Khamaisa : كشفت معامل وزارة الصحة اصابة شاب »25 سنة« وابنة عمه 15 سنة بزفتي بمرض انفلونزا الطيور وتم نقلهما أمس إلي مستشفي حميات العباسية ومعهما شقيقة المصاب الأول والتي تم احتجازها تحت الاشتباه. Revealed the Ministry of Health wounded young »« 25 years and the daughter of his uncle 15 years Pzfti contracted avian flu was transported to the hospital yesterday pathogenesis Abbasiya themselves first and injured his brother, who was detained under suspicion. كانت مديرية الصحة بالغربية قد احتجزت في 17 ديسمبر انتصار فريد عبدالحليم 30 سنة وشقيقها رضا 25 سنة بمستشفي حميات زفتي وفي 20 ديسمبر احتجزت ابنة عمهما شفيقة فريد 15 سنة تحت الاشتباه وتم اخذ عينات منهم لإرسالها لمعامل الوزارة. كشفت أمس نتيجة فحص الحالات اصابة رضا فريد وابنة عمه شفيقة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور مما أدي إلي اثارة فزع وخوف المواطنين وخصوصا بعد أن تم احتجاز حالتين جديدتين في طنطا والمحلة، وعلي الفور قام الدكتور السيد الحسيني وكيل وزارة الصحة وسامي فتح الباب رئيس مركز ومدينة زفتي بتشكيل لجنة لفحص جميع المخالطين واعدام الطيور في نطاق نصف كيلو من بؤرة الإصابة وأخذ عينات من جميع المخالطين بقرية كفر حانوت. The Directorate of Health enough had been detained in the December 17 victory Farid saying 30 years and 25 years her brother Reza Hospital pathogenesis of Main and December 20 detained the daughter of their uncle Fred Shafiqah 15 years under suspicion was sampling them to be sent to labs ministry. Revealed yesterday, as a result examine situations injury Reza Farid and his cousin Shafiqah contracted avian flu, which caused panic and fear of citizens and especially after the detention of two new cases in Tanta and Mahala, and immediately, Dr. Mr. Husseini, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Sami opened the door, head of the Center City and the Main formation of a committee to examine all Almkhalten and execution of birds within a half kilo of the focus of infection and taking samples from all Almkhalten village of Kafr shop. وتسود حالة من الفزع بعد اكتشاف حالات ايجابية لمرض انفلونزا الطيور وطالب المجلس المحلي للمحافظة بضرورة التشديد علي غلق محلات بيع الطيور الحية والتي مازالت مفتوحة حتي الآن رغم وجود قرار بحظر وتداول الطيور الحية بالأسواق. There is a state of panic after the discovery of cases positive for avian influenza disease and asked the local council to maintain emphasis on the need to close down shops selling live birds, which still open so far even though a decision banning the circulation of live birds at markets.

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...ypt_3_New.html

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Three New Egyptian Patients
Recombinomics Commentary
December 24, 2006

The WHO earlier said a brother, 26, and sister, 15, had the virus and then said a third relative, a woman aged 30, had contracted it.

All three are from the same extended family of 33 living in a single house in a village near the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province.

The above comments provide additional detail on the confirmed cases in the Egyptian family cluster, which has now grown to three. This is the largest cluster reported to date in Egypt. The location is 12 miles south of the case confirmed in October. The H5N1 sequence from that case had a number of newly acquired polymorphisms, including several from H5N1 reported in neighboring countries.

One of the acquisitions, M230I, matches the receptor binding domain sequence in the three human strains, H3N2, H1N1, and Influenza B. The Influenza B match is for positions 226-230 (QSGRI). Since influenza B is efficiently transmitted from human-to-human, the presence of M230I in the Qinghai strain of H5N1 is cause for concern.

The confirmed cluster in Gharbiya province may grow into a larger geographical cluster. In addition to the four confirmed cases this season, Arab language reports in Egypt describe two additional patients hospitalized in Tanta, the capital of Gharbiya province and about 15 miles from the four confirmed cases.

Gharbiya has been recently called an H5N1 hot spot. It is in the Nile Delta and lies within major migratory bird flyways, as do most of the countries in the Middle East.

Turkey has reported the deaths of chickens and sparrows. Iran has begun to cull sick chickens. Although neither country has reported H5N1 this season, last year Egypt reported H5N1 in a teal, while Iran has published the sequence of a whooper swan isolated last season.

The confirmation of the largest cluster in Egypt mirrors the largest cluster in Turkey last year. Infections in both clusters began in December, and signaled a new season of human H5N1 cases. These cases had several changes in the receptor binding domain that increased affinity to human receptors. These changes were also linked to larger clusters, as has been confirmed in Egypt.

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[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...biya_More.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...biya_More.html

Commentary

Additional H5N1 Suspect Cases in Gharbiya in Nile Delta
Recombinomics Commentary
December 24, 2006

Revealed yesterday, as a result examine situations injury Reza Farid and his cousin Shafiqah contracted avian flu, which caused panic and fear of citizens and especially after the detention of two new cases in Tanta and Mahala, and immediately, Dr. Mr. Husseini, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Sami opened the door, head of the Center City and the Main formation of a committee to examine all Almkhalten and execution of birds within a half kilo of the focus of infection and taking samples from all Almkhalten village of Kafr shop.

The above translation provides additional detail on the two suspect cases in Tanta and Mahala. These cases are in addition to the four confirmed cases in the Gharbiya Province. The first case (39F) died in October. She had raised ducks in Summanud, which is adjacent to the Nile River and about 15 miles north of Zifta, which is also on the Nile and just south of Kafr village, the location of the confirmed family cluster of three. This cluster is also linked to ducks.

H5N1 from the earlier case has been sequenced, and the HA has M230I, which is also present in all three human influenza strains (H1N1, H3N2, influenza B) that are currently circulating. This sequence has Egyptian linked polymorphisms found in H5N1 bird flu isolated earlier this year. However, it also has several additional polymorphisms found in various Qinghai isolates from Europe and Africa, signaling additional recombination between local Qinghai strains.

In addition to the four confirmed cases, the above translation describes patients in Tanta, which is about 15 miles west of Zifta. Mahala probably refers to Mahalla el Kubra, which is a few miles west of Samannud. Earlier, there were reports of an additional suspect case (23F) from Tanta.

Thus, the four confirmed cases and recent suspect cases are within a 10 mile radius of each other, in the heart of the Nile Delta, adjacent to the Nile River. This location is in the flight path of migratory birds, including the H5N1 positive teal detected in December, 2005 in Egypt.

The large number of confirmed and suspect cases in this small geographical area remains a cause for concern.

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[Theresa42]

Originally Posted by Theresa42

Machine-translated from Arabic:

The injury of a young man and his cousin with "my wedding procession" by the bird flu
Dec 24, 2006

Tanta - Atef Deibis: The Ministry of Health laboratories revealed the injury of a young man "25 years" and his cousin 15 years with "my wedding procession" [I'm guessing this is the name of the village that they're from] by the bird flu disease and have been transferred yesterday to the hospital of the Abbasid fevers and with them the sister of the first injured and who has been detained under the suspicion....

BTW -- the Abbassia Fever Hospital (& the Abbassia Chest Hospital) -- "the oldest and largest fever hospital in the Middle East" -- is next-door to NAMRU-3...

http://www.nmrc.navy.mil/namru_3.htm

[Laidback Al]

Thanks for that tidbit of information, your sleuthing skills are amazing. Being that close, NAMRU-3 ought to be able turn the test results around pretty quickly.

[Theresa42]

Originally Posted by Laidback Al

Thanks for that tidbit of information, your sleuthing skills are amazing. Being that close, NAMRU-3 ought to be able turn the test results around pretty quickly.

Actually -- someone very kindly tipped me on this. Thanks to the person that did! I tried to find the addresses for the hospital and NAMRU, but all I wound up finding was the note on the NAMRU page.