Bird Flu Widens, Two More Human Cases In China, Niger And Pakistan Report Bird Infections

Featured Article
Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 27 Feb 2006 - 15:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

As Chinese authorities confirm two new human cases of H5N1 Bird Flu virus strain infections, Niger and Pakistan have confirmed their first outbreaks of infections among birds.

In China, a girl, aged 9 and a farmer, aged 26, became infected with H5N1. The girl is from Zhejiang and the farmer from Annhui. Authorities have checked relatives and people who have come into close contact with the patients and confirm the virus has not infected them.

As the H5N1 strain has established itself in many parts of China we should see more and more human cases - especially among people with regular physical contact with infected poultry.

Niger

Infected birds with H5N1 have been confirmed in Niger. Niger has borders with Nigeria, where bird flu is spreading fast.

Experts say that when bird flu spreads into Sub-Saharan Africa, perhaps the poorest region in the world, with a population twice that of the USA, it will be virtually impossible to monitor and contain the spread. Many people live with their poultry. Getting them to hand over their infected chickens, when the alternative is starvation, will be extremely difficult.

Pakistan

Samples have been sent to a laboratory in Kent, UK. Authorities in Pakistan have confirmed the presence of low pathogenic avian influenza H5 in some farms in the north west frontier.

Kenya

Authorities in Kenya say 400 dead chickens were dumped in Nairobi. Whether they had bird flu remains to be seen.

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