Fifth human avian flu case recovering, say officials

Egypt’s fifth suspected human case of avian influenza is under recovery and in stable condition, according to officials at the Ministry of Health. “She’s out of danger and her health condition is stable,” said ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahine. Shaimaa Khairi al-Dessouki, 18, a resident of Kafr el-Sheikh some 200 km from Cairo, began showing symptoms of the potentially deadly virus on 21 March. Al-Dessouki, who had lived in regular contact with domestically-kept birds, was transferred to a Cairo hospital on 25 March where she was administered with Tamiflu. Since then, she has shown steady signs of recovery. Hers is the fifth human case of the infection in Egypt. The first human death from bird flu, reported last week, was closely followed by confirmation of three additional cases. Two of the latter cases, however, have since been discharged from hospital, while the third is expected to be discharged imminently. Meanwhile, new discoveries of infected birds have brought the total number of affected provinces up to 19 out of 26. In light of the new detections, farm birds have been culled in affected farms in the capital district, Giza and in Damietta, 200 km north of Cairo. In a bid to avert the spread of the virus to humans, the government launched a series of preventative measures last month. A government-ordered domestic cull is currently being enforced in urban areas, for example, with pecuniary penalties being doled out to offenders. The maximum fine for keeping birds within city limits is the equivalent of US $1,740. Domestic fowl were banned in cities soon after the announcement of the first discovery of the virus in chickens in mid-February. A ban on inter-provincial transport of birds also remains in place. Currently, only the sale of government-licensed fowl, which has been subject to tests, can be sold legally. Nevertheless, the government has not sought to enforce the ban in the countryside, where officials fear the potential economic damage to an otherwise lucrative industry. “If we enforce the ban in the countryside, where millions of birds have been culled and dozens of farms have already been closed, the economic effect would be even harder to bear,” said Shahine. To date, over 10 million birds have been culled, he added.