Posted on 03/18/2006 10:33:06 AM PST by Termite_Commander
CAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - An Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, the country's first human victim of the virus, Egypt's health ministry said on Saturday.
It said a 30-year-old woman from Qaloubiyah province, about 40 kms (25 miles) north of Cairo, was taken ill on Wednesday.
"They (doctors) took samples for analysis at the ministry of health laboratories ... They confirmed she was infected with bird flu. She died on Friday morning," a health ministry statement said, adding the woman had been given Tamiflu, a drug used to treat suspected cases of bird flu.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that Egypt had reported its first human case of bird flu.
"It was confirmed last night and reported officially this morning," said Dr Hassan al-Bushra, WHO's regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance.
He said the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in a blood sample taken from the woman, and that other samples were being tested for confirmation.
The woman had earlier reported the death of chickens she reared at her home, Bushra said, adding initial reports seemed to indicate that she had then killed other chickens herself for consumption.
She was later admitted to hospital with a fever and shortness of breath.
"People think that they can kill and slaughter the chickens and eat them. Health education is the issue," Bushra said.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain has been found in birds in 18 of the country's 26 governorates.
Telephone hotlines set up after the disease was initially discovered last month in Egypt, the world's most populous Arab state, were jammed by worried Egyptians after farmers reportedly threw slaughtered poultry onto the streets and into the Nile river.
Bird flu has spread across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia and killed at least 98 people worldwide since 2003.
Although hard to catch, people can contract bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds. Scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form that could pass easily between humans, triggering a pandemic in which millions could die.
Previous Egyptian government statements had said the virus was being contained after it was first reported in February.
Egyptian farmers say the poultry market -- worth about 17 billion Egyptian pounds ($3 billion dollars) and supporting up to 3 million people -- has been devastated. (Additional reporting by Abdel Latif Wahba)
Still not a lot of migratory birds in Fairbanks. Might be too cold. -15 last night again, and hasn't got much above +10 for the past couple weeks. Some wind, too, which keeps the smaller birds grounded.
Maybe the birds will find it too darn cold and just stay in China and Russia this year, hmm?
=^)
I read an article last week, which said the wild flocks have migrated from Asia and Russia, up into Canada, and have mixed with their flocks, and will be migrating into Alaska and down into the US. Apparently the INTEL SATs are keeping watch on the giant flock movements.
It's coming here by end of summer, the article states.
According to yesterday's Wall Street Journal: As a result of its fast expansion work, Roche said that it will be able to make 400 million treatment courses a year by the end of this year. To date, governments have ordered 200 million treatment courses for their pandemic stockpiles.
Lets shut down Wall Street, government, and focus on our pending demise of death....
We're due for considerable seasonal warming any day now. Some thought they detected it back in February, but since then we have had a foot of snow and several -30 days. It's probably been colder than normal. Some years there is still some ice remaining in shadowed areas even as late as June, but the migrating birds arrive as soon as some ground is clear and standing water is available. Could be happening in two weeks.
I've heard the same. However, I should point out that the spread through wild birds has been unpredictable. It could be here within a week, or it might not get here until 2007.
It's a confusing situation.
I'm laying in a 6-mo supply of creamed corn, vienna sausages and powdered milk. You?
ROTFLMAO....
Lets lay destitute our economy and defense and place ALL production into education.
There was a TV program a few days ago about a guy who lives in Alaska on the west coast, whose job it is to track signs of illness as the birds come to Alaska.
I have been wondering if the destruction of 90% of the Iraq Marshes by Saddam Hussein might contribute to the bird flu problem. If birds (and usually the sick are ducks, geese and other large birds) can stop eat and rest up in the marshes, then if they get sick they will die there rather than going on the heavily inhabited areas like Egypt, or to Turkey where they share small pools with domestic fowl. I wish the government would allot more of the Iraq recovery money to restoring the marshes. It might help reduce the spread of the flu.
Well... Now I'm confused. Should I wish you warm weather so you don't freeze, or cold weather so the birds stay away?
Six months worth of Purina Dog Chow under glass.....
Updated regularly with news on avian-flu precautions, research and outbreaks. All times EST.
Saturday, March 18
1:16 p.m.: Israel's Channel Two television reported the presence of H5N1 was confirmed at Sdeh Moshe in southern Israel. Israel had quarantined four areas where the bird flu was suspected and began culling hundreds of thousands of birds on Saturday even though the final test results had not been received.
10:37 a.m.: A spokesman for the WHO said Saturday that initial tests have shown that a woman who died this week in Egypt had bird flu, making her likely the first human death from the disease in that country. Final confirmation that the death was a result of H5N1 is still pending. A number of people who came in contact with the woman are also being tested, said Hassan el-Bushra, the WHO's regional adviser for emerging diseases.
I guess that leaves only goat and camel for those poor muslims. Too bad they refuse to discover the pig, a magical and tasty animal of which so many good things come from, like back bacon, ham, pork chops, BB back ribs... Mmmm !!
I didn't understand that either. Did they mean people shouldn't kill chickens and eat them or that she shouldn't have eaten sick birds?
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