May 06 Health Alerts
Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 15
29 May 2006 © World Health Organization 2006. All rights reserved
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional six cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Three of these cases were fatal.None of the newly confirmed cases is associated with the family cluster in Karo, North Sumatra. The cases are widely dispersed geographically (see map below).One newly confirmed case is an 18-year-old man from East Java Province. He developed symptoms on 6 May and was hospitalized on 17 May. He is now recovering. The investigation found a history of exposure to dead chickens in his home within the week prior to symptom onset. No further cases of influenza-like illness have been identified during the investigation and monitoring of his close contacts.Two additional cases occurred in a 10-year-old girl and her 18-year-old brother from Bandung, West Java. Both children developed symptoms on 16 May, were hospitalized on 22 May, and died on 23 May. Both children had a history of close contact with sick and dying chickens at their home in the week before symptom onset. The identical onset dates strongly suggest that they acquired their infection following a shared exposure to poultry, and not from each other. Follow-up of contacts has not identified further cases of influenza-like illness.An additional case occurred in a 39-year-old man from West Jakarta. He developed symptoms on 9 May, was hospitalized on 16 May, and died on 19 May. The investigation determined that the man cleaned pigeon faeces from blocked roof gutters at his home shortly before symptom onset. No further potential source of exposure was identified.The remaining two patients are a 43-year-old man from South Jakarta, who developed symptoms on 6 May, and a 15-year-old girl from West Sumatra, who developed symptoms on 17 May. The 43-year-old man has recovered and been discharged from hospital. The 15-year-old girl remains hospitalized. The sources of exposure for these two cases are under investigation.The newly confirmed cases bring the cumulative total in Indonesia to 48. Of these cases, 36 were fatal.Maps showing the location of Indonesia’s H5N1 cases can be found on the WHO Indonesia avian influenza web site .
Avian influenza - situation in Indonesia - update 14 World Health Organisation
23 May 2006
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional case of
human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case occurred
in a 32-year-old man. He developed symptoms on 15 May and died on 22
May.
The case is part of a family cluster in the Kubu Sembelang village, Karo
District, of North Sumatra. The man is the seventh member of an extended
family to become infected with the H5N1 virus and the sixth to die. An
additional person, who was the first member of the family to fall ill,
died of respiratory disease on 4 May. No specimens were taken prior to
her burial and the cause of her death cannot be determined. However, as
her clinical course was compatible with H5N1 infection, epidemiologists
at the outbreak site include this woman as the initial case in the
cluster. The newly confirmed case is a brother of the initial case. Specimens
were taken on 21 May and flown the same day to Jakarta. Tests run
overnight confirmed his infection. His 10-year-old son died of H5N1
infection on 13 May. The father was closely involved in caring for his
son, and this contact is considered a possible source of infection.
Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 13 World Health Organisation
19 May 2006
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case occurred in a 12-year-old boy from Bekasi in East Jakarta. He was hospitalized on 7 May and died on 13 May.
An investigation is under way to determine the source of his infection.
The newly confirmed case brings the total in Indonesia to 41. Of these cases, 32 have been fatal.
Avian influenza - situation in Indonesia - update 12
WHO18 May 2006
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional seven cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Six of the cases were fatal. One fatal case, in a 38-year-old woman, occurred in the city of Surabaya, in East Java. She developed symptoms on 2 May, was hospitalized on 7 May, and died on 12 May. The case is the first reported from this area.
The remaining six cases are from the village of Kubu Sembelang in the Karo district of North Sumatra. All six are members of an extended family, and all but one lived in neighbouring houses. Associated with the Kubu Sembelang outbreak is a seventh family member, a 37-year-old woman. She developed symptoms on 27 April and died of respiratory disease on 4 May. No specimens were obtained before her burial, and the cause of her death cannot be confirmed. She is, however, considered the initial case in this family cluster.
The six confirmed cases in Sumatra include the woman's two sons, aged 15 and 17 years, who died respectively on 9 May and 12 May. The 28-year-old sister of the initial case died on 10 May. This sister had an 18-month-old girl, who died on 14 May. The fifth confirmed case, who is still alive, is the 25-year-old brother of the initial case. The sixth confirmed case is the 10-year-old nephew of the initial case. He died on 13 May.
One additional family member, who had been hospitalized, has subsequently been ruled out based on both negative laboratory results and the absence of clinical symptoms compatible with H5N1 infection. The newly confirmed cases bring the total in Indonesia to 40. Of these cases, 31 have been fatal.
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 8
18 May 2006 The Ministry of Health in Egypt has confirmed the country's 14th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case occurred in a 75-year-old woman from the Al Minya governorate. She developed symptoms on 11 May and died on 18 May. As with all other cases in Egypt, her infection has been linked to exposure to diseased birds. Of the 14 cases in Egypt, six have been fatal.
Avian influenza – situation in Djibouti
12 May 2006
The Ministry of Health in Djibouti has confirmed the country’s first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The patient is a 2-year-old girl from a small rural village in Arta district. She developed symptoms on 23 April. She is presently in a stable condition with persistent symptoms.
Three tests conducted on 10 May by the Cairo-based US Naval Medical Research Unit 3 (NAMRU-3) confirmed the child’s infection with the H5N1 virus. She is the first case of human infection reported in the Horn of Africa.
Three of the child’s siblings are under investigation for possible infection and are also receiving care. Samples have been taken and are being sent to NAMRU-3 for testing.
Health authorities in Djibouti initiated surveillance for human cases following reports of a small number of chicken deaths in early April. NAMRU-3 has also confirmed the presence of H5N1 virus in samples from three chickens.
Avian influenza situation in Indonesia update 11
8 May 2006The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country’s 33rd case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case, which was fatal, occurred in a 30-year-old man from Greater Jakarta. He developed symptoms on 17 April, was hospitalized on 21 April, and died on 26 April.An investigation to determine the source of his infection is continuing. He lived in close proximity to pens where animals, including poultry, were kept.
Of the 33 laboratory-confirmed cases in Indonesia, 25 have been fatal.
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 6 WHO
4 May 2006
The Ministry of Health in Egypt has announced the country's 13th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Tests conducted by both the national public health laboratory and the Cairo-based US Naval Medical Research Unit 3 (NAMRU-3) produced positive results. The patient is a 27-year-old woman from Cairo who was hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia on 1 May. She is presently in stable condition. Her infection has been linked to exposure to diseased poultry during a recent visit to the Minufiyah governorate. While there, she stayed in a household where numerous chickens were slaughtered. The woman is the first new case in Egypt reported since early April. Of the 13 laboratory-confirmed cases in Egypt, four were fatal. Eight patients have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital. ;
