A woman in Minya province has become the 20th human H5N1 avian influenza case reported in Egypt in the past six weeks and the 24th case of 2014 to date, according to an Oneaeg. com report (computer translated).
Image/Cynthia Goldsmith/ Jackie Katz
The 25-year-old woman went to seek treatment at a Minya hospital one week ago after suffering from “fever, cough, and pain in the body”. She was admitted and put into isolation. She is currently in stable condition.
To date, 10 people have died from H5N1 avian flu in Egypt this year while the other 14 either recovered or are currently being treated.
This comes one day after the first ever reports of human H5N1 avian flu were seen in neighboring Libya.
Since November 2003, more than 600 sporadic cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus with high mortality have been reported, primarily by 15 countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East.
Signs and symptoms may depend on which avian influenza A virus caused the infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A virus infections of humans have been associated with a wide range of illness.
Illness has ranged from conjunctivitis only, to influenza-like illness, to severe respiratory illness (e.g. shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, respiratory failure) with multi-organ disease, sometimes accompanied by nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and sometimes neurologic changes (altered mental status, seizures). Sometimes infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus infection leads to death, especially with HPAI H5N1 virus.
The best way to prevent infection with avian influenza A viruses is to avoid sources of exposure. Most human infections with avian influenza A viruses have occurred following direct or close contact with infected poultry.
