Jun 8, 2007 (CIDRAP News) – A World Health Organization (WHO) official in Egypt today said a 10-year-old girl is being treated for H5N1 avian influenza and is in critical condition, according to news services.
The girl is from Qena governorate in southern Egypt and was admitted to a hospital after developing flulike symptoms, health ministry spokesman Abdel-Rahman Shahin announced through MENA, Egypt's news agency, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. If the girl's case is confirmed by the WHO, she will be listed as Egypt's 35th case-patient. Egypt has had 14 H5N1 deaths, according to the WHO.
The girl has a history of contact with backyard birds, John Jabbour, the WHO official in Cairo, told Reuters today. MENA reported she is on a respirator, according to Reuters.
Egypt reported 16 human H5N1 cases and 4 deaths in early 2007, most of them in children, but it has not had a WHO-confirmed case or fatality since Apr 11.
In other developments, the WHO confirmed Indonesia's latest human case 2 days ago. The patient, a 16-year-old girl from Central Java, fell ill on May 21, was hospitalized May 25, and died May 29. The initial investigation indicated the girl was exposed to dead poultry. She was Indonesia's 99th case-patient and 79th fatality. Indonesia has the world's highest toll of H5N1 cases and deaths.
See also:
Jun 6 WHO statement
