Bird flu update: 27 March 2006

Below is a roundup of the key developments on the spread of the bird flu virus (H5N1) and the threat it poses to human health. Each title is a link to the full article.

Click here to see the latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures of confirmed human cases.

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Monday 27 March 2006
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Egypt reports new suspected human bird flu case
The Egyptian health minister announced on Sunday that a new suspected case of human bird flu had been found in the country’s Nile delta region (Source: Xinhua).

Three sick Cambodians tested for bird flu
Three Cambodians suffering from fever and coughs are being tested for bird flu, say government officials and the WHO (Source: Reuters).

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Saturday 25 March 2006
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1st case of H5N1 in Serbian poultry confirmed
Serbia confirmed its first case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in poultry; the test results have been confirmed by the EU reference laboratory in Weybridge, United Kingdom (Source: Xinhua).

Palestinians get US$2m in World Bank bird flu aid
The World Bank will donate US$2 million to help Palestinians contain an outbreak of avian flu in the Gaza Strip, a bank official said (Source: Reuters).

Indonesian baby girl dies of bird flu, local tests show
A one-year-old girl from west Jakarta has died of bird flu, a senior health official has said; a laboratory in Hong Kong has been asked to confirm the finding (Source: Reuters).

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Friday 24 March 2006
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Jordan confirms 1st H5N1 bird flu outbreak
Jordanian minister of health Saeed Darwazeh has said that the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected in poultry, the first such outbreak in the country (Source: Xinhua).

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Thursday 23 March 2006
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Woman dies of suspected bird flu in Shanghai
A 29-year-old woman has died of what could be bird flu in the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai; the case is under investigation, state television said (Source: Reuters).

Cambodian three-year-old dies of H5N1 bird flu
A three-year-old Cambodian girl has died of H5N1 bird flu, according to government health officials and the WHO (Source: Reuters).

Africa needs labs and stronger institutions – UN, African leaders
UN agencies and African leaders have issued an 18-point declaration on how to keep the H5N1 virus in check on the world’s poorest continent (Source: Reuters).

Tests confirm H5N1 in Gaza
Israeli tests have confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in poultry in the Gaza Strip (Source: The Australian).

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Wednesday 22 March 2006
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H5N1 — why it can’t spread between people
Researchers have suggested why the H5N1 bird flu virus has so far been inefficient at infecting people and unable to spread between them (Source: SciDev.Net).

Azerbaijan bird flu seems under control — WHO
An outbreak of bird flu in Azerbaijan that has killed five young people appears to be under control with no new infections for some time, the WHO local mission has said (Source: Reuters).

WHO draws up plan to fight global outbreak of bird flu
The first measures thought to be capable of containing a global flu outbreak have been agreed by the WHO (Source: Daily Telegraph).

WHO says China to provide bird flu virus samples from poultry
China has agreed to share virus samples from bird flu outbreaks in poultry; the first batch should arrive at overseas laboratories within weeks (Source: Reuters).

Special team to monitor bird flu threat in United Arab Emirates
A special police team has been set up the in the UAE to monitor and handle any possible outbreak of bird flu and to spread public awareness (Source: Khaleej Times Online).

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Tuesday 21 March 2006
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Only 20-30 countries ‘are able to handle bird flu’ — WHO
Only 20 to 30 nations are capable of the early detection and quick response needed to contain rapidly spreading bird flu; other nations need more help, said a WHO health official (Source: Reuters).

Egypt reports 4th suspected human bird flu case
A 17-year-old boy is thought to be Egypt’s fourth human case of bird flu; samples from the boy are being tested for the virus (Source: Reuters).

Bird flu killed five in Azerbaijan says WHO
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed five young people in Azerbaijan in recent weeks, and a further two have tested positive, WHO officials confirmed (Source: Reuters).

First two cases of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Pakistan
Pakistan’s first two cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in chickens have been confirmed by UK lab tests (Source: Xinhua).

Congo seeks analysis of specimen from dead swans
The Congolese government is seeking a reliable laboratory to analyse samples taken from two swans found dead in the country’s second largest city (Source: Angola Press).

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Monday 20 March 2006
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Pledged aid fails Africa in bird flu fight says UN
Massive aid pledged to help poor countries tackle bird flu has not materialised, and African countries and the UN must plug the shortfall, the UN has said (Source: Reuters).

Study defines two clear bird flu strains
The H5N1 strain of bird flu in humans has evolved into two separate strains, which could complicate developing a vaccine and preventing a pandemic, say researchers (Source: Reuters).