China H5N1 Cases in the News

A quick update on the most recent human cases of avian influenza in China:

Courtesy of the World Health Organization and CrofsBlog.

Shanxi Province- A 2-year old girl (surname Peng) was hospitalized after developing persistent influenza symptoms on January 7th. Laboratory tests have confirmed infection with H5N1, but health officials remain unaware of the source of her infection. The toddler is currently in critical condition.

Hunan Province- A 16-year old boy (surname Wu) who had been infected with H5N1, died early Tuesday morning on January 20th. Wu developed influenza symptoms on January 8th after contact with dead poultry and was hospitalized January 16th.

Shandong Province: A 27-year old female died of H5N1 infection on January 17th. She was hospitalized after developing symptoms around January 5th. Health officials do not know if she had contact with poultry and are currently investigating the possible sources of her infection.

For more information, please see:
World Health Organization http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_01_19/en/
CrofsBlog http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/

8-Year Old Bird Flu Patient Released from Hospital

An update on Bui Thi Thao, the 8-year old girl who gathered the unfortunate title of Vietnam's first bird flu patient of 2009:

Bui Thi Thao is continuing her recovery and has been released from the hospital, according to VOV News. The girl was admitted to the hospital on January 2nd with influenza-like symptoms and tests revealed infection with H5N1. Her sister was hospitalized shortly after with similar symptoms but died before diagnostics could confirm if bird flu was the cause.

To see the full story:

VOV News:
http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/Bird-flu-patient-discharged-from-hospital/20091/101097.vov

Reuters AlertNet:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HAN342476.htm

Update: Human Cases in China & Vietnam

No further spread of the virus in Beijing, say Chinese health officials:

After a 19-year old woman died from AI on January 5 (the first such death since 2003), the Chinese authorities took swift action placing under medical observation 200 people that had been in close contact with her. Today, they discharged all 200 contacts with no further reports of AI-related illness. Also today, Chinese health workers completed a survey of 358,820 high-risk target groups in Beijing, including migrant workers and those involved in poultry farming, slaughtering, and sales - finding no sign of AI-related symptoms.

See related article from China View: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/12/content_10646649.htm


Similar case-contact observation turns up negative results in Vietnam, but mass poultry deaths reported in 6 of 12 villages in young victim's commune

Vietnamese officials recently released 37 people from medical observation after they came into contact with an 8-year-old girl infected with AI (currently recovering at hospital), saying they show no signs of the illness. However, the young girl's sister died recently after the 8-year-old became infected. Officials cannot confirm if the sister's death was AI-related. No case-contact surveillance and observation has been reported for contacts of the second young girl.

Health officials have reported that 6 of 12 villages in the young girls' commune in Thanh Hoa Province have had mass poultry deaths in the past month. Further investigation is ongoing.

More on the story can be found at Thanhnien News: http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=45353

Sister of Vietnam’s first Avian Flu Patient of 2009 Dies

Several days ago we reported that Vietnam had confirmed its first AI patient of the year, an 8-year old girl from the Than Hoa province. Vietnamese health authorities now believe that the 13-year old sister of the girl also died of bird flu on January 2nd. Although diagnostic tests were not available, doctors who treated the girl reported similar symptoms to her sister. The director of the hospital where the patient was admitted has said, "We suspect that it was bird flu that caused her death.”

The victim’s 8-year old sister is still hospitalized and recovering.

For more information, please click on the below link:
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200901/20090109/article_387413.htm

New H5N1 outbreak in poultry in India

A fresh outbreak is being reported in Darjeeling with 31,000 birds being killed so far.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Fresh_cases_of_bird_flu_in_Darjeeling/rssarticleshow/3947535.cms

Two human cases of H5N1 in China and Vietnam

Vietnam has released information about their first case of human H5N1 infection since last March. An 8 year old girl from Than Hoa province was hospitalized on January 2nd. Authorities report that she had contact with sick and dead poultry prior to infection

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_01_07/en/index.html


A 19 year old woman from Beiging passed away on Jan. 5th after being infected with H5N1, presumably from ducks she purchased from a local market.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_01_07/en/index.html

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/06/content_10612862.htm

Bird Flu Resurfaces in the State of West Bengal

West Bengal’s fourth H5N1 outbreak has just been confirmed in India.

Over the past week, poultry began to die off at alarming rates in the village of Mathigarah in Darjeeling. State authorities confirmed that the dead poultry tested positive for H5N1 infection and ordered the culling of 60,000 birds beginning Sunday (1/9/08).

Despite the past spread of H5N1 among poultry in 14 of West Bengal’s 19 districts alone, India has yet to report its first case of human H5N1 infection.

Check out the following websites for more information about this outbreak:

Crofs Blog
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/

AFP's Blog
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j7Qhfn7kCDmwRQ16SqzTdci1KSjw

Newstrack India
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/55938