Iraq Confirms Second Human Case Of H5N1 Bird Flu Infection

Featured Article
Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 17 Feb 2006 - 17:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Iraqi authorities have confirmed a second human case of H5N1 bird flu virus strain infection. A 39-year-old man from Sulaimaniyah, northern Iraq, developed flu-like symptoms on January 18th and died on January 27th. His niece, a 15-year-old girl, had died of bird flu infection on January 17th.

The man had been caring for his niece while she was ill. He had had close, continuous contact with infected chickens, say authorities.

Samples from Iraq are being sent to two places:

1. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Cairo, Egypt.
2. WHO collaborating laboratory in Surrey, England.

The H5N1 bird flu virus strain has spread to three continents, Europe, Africa and Asia. The only continents left are North and South America, Australasia and Antarctica. Australasia is not too far from Indonesia, where there have been several cases of infected birds and humans. Antarctica is not populated with humans, except for scientists and researchers. Although migration of birds from Northern Asia could find their way to North America, this is very unlikely.

Several people have written in to Medical News Today. If anyone knows the answers to some of them, we would be interested to know:

"Could infected seagulls travel across the ocean, using ships to rest on, and find their way into the American continent?"

"Are there are birds that migrate across the Atlantic or Pacific to North or South America?"

"Infected bird faeces are sources of infection for humans. How long does the virus survive there in the faeces?"

"How long is an infected dead bird contagious for?"

"Should people who live in or near infected areas sleep with their windows closed?"

"How long does it take the H5N1 virus to kill a bird?"

"Do all birds that get infected with the H5N1 virus strain die?"

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

• Additional
• References
• Citations