Two new H7N9 cases push two-wave total to 400
China has reported two new H7N9 influenza cases over the past 3 days, along with the death of a previously confirmed case-patient. Both of the fresh cases are from Guangdong province, which has been one of the main hot spots in the second wave of infections that began in October and has now declined to just a few cases per week.
One of the patients, announced by provincial health officials on Mar 22, is a 62-year-old man who is hospitalized in critical condition in Shantou, according to a health department statement translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. The other patient, whose illness was announced today, is a 49-year-old man who is hospitalized in Shenzhen, according to FluTrackers' translation of a health department notice.
The fatality was reported yesterday by Anhui province, involving an 82-year-old man from the province who had been hospitalized in Jiangsu province and whose illness was first announced on Mar 21, according to FluTrackers.
The two new illnesses boost the overall outbreak total to 400, according to a list of human cases kept by FluTrackers. The latest death pushes the unofficial death tally to 121. So far 264 of the cases have been reported during the second outbreak wave, compared to 136 in the first wave last spring.
Mar 22 FluTrackers thread
Mar 24 FluTrackers thread
Mar 23 FluTrackers thread
FluTrackers human H7N9 case listing
Egypt confirms 2 H5N1 cases
Egypt's health ministry has confirmed two cases of H5N1 avian flu in the northern part of the country, the Egypt Independent reported.
A 56-year-old woman from Beheira governorate and a 4-year-old child from Damietta governorate are both in critical condition in intensive care units, the story said. Both have received oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
The cases are the first in the country since April 2013, the story said. Last year the country confirmed four H5N1 cases, three of which were fatal, according to data from the World Health Organization.
That's a far cry from previous years. Egypt led the world in annual H5N1 cases from 2009 through 2012, with 39, 29, 39, and 11 in those years, respectively.
Mar 22 Egypt Independent story