Nov 29, 2011
Egyptian woman on ventilator with H5N1 infection
A 31-year-old woman in Egypt is in critical condition with an H5N1 avian flu infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The woman, from Dakahlia governorate, developed symptoms Nov 10, was hospitalized Nov 16, and is now on a ventilator. She was exposed to sick and dead poultry in her backyard, the agency said. The Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a WHO-affiliated national influenza center, confirmed her case on Nov 21. The country has now had 153 H5N1 cases since 2006, 52 of which have been fatal. Egypt has confirmed 34 H5N1 cases this year, including 12 deaths. The global H5N1 count has now reached 571 cases and 335 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of 58.7%.
Nov 29 WHO update
Nov 29 WHO global H5N1 case count
Avian flu hits poultry in Vietnam, Nepal
Avian flu has been confirmed in flocks of ducks and chickens in Vietnam and Nepal. Local officials in Dak Lak province in Vietnam's central highlands destroyed a flock of more than 1,300 domestic ducks and 9,800 duck eggs after H5N1 affected an unspecified number of the birds, according to a story today from Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency. Local agriculture authorities also sanitized the farm and surrounding areas. The outbreak began after the farmer bought ducks from another farm in the province that had an unreported H5N1 outbreak earlier this month, according to the story. The earlier outbreak resulted in the death of more than 5,000 ducks.
In Nepal, more than 500 ducks and chickens were culled after an avian flu outbreak on a farm in Bhaktapur district, Nepal News reported today. Lab results on samples tested in the United Kingdom confirmed avian flu after preliminary tests in Nepal. The story did not specify the number of poultry affected, but the Nepal-based Daily Kantipur reported today that 35 chickens died on the farm earlier this month. In July the country had been declared free of avian flu, according to the Nepal News story.
Nov 29 Kantipur report
US sees little flu activity
Flu activity in the United States still remains at low levels, with most indicators below their baselines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday in its surveillance report for the week ending Nov 19. The percentage of respiratory specimens that tested positive for flu was 1.0%, a slight decrease from the 1.2% reported the previous week. The percentage of doctor's visits for flulike illness, at 1.3%, stayed below the national baseline of 2.4%. Deaths from pneumonia and flu dipped slightly and were at a level expected for this time of year, the CDC said. Two pediatric flu deaths were reported, but they occurred during the 2010-11 season, raising that total to 118. So far the CDC has received no reports of pediatric flu deaths for the new flu season. Sporadic flu activity was reported by the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 26 states, an increase of three from the previous week.
Nov 28 CDC flu surveillance report
