Avian Influenza News 2005

News Items

 

December 2005  

30 December 2005 China reports another fatal case of influenza A (H5N1) infection .....( read more)

23 December 2005 Two fatal cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection reported from Indonesia .....( read more)

16 December 2005 New cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in Indonesia and China.....( read more)

09 December 2005 Confirmation of additional human infections in Thailand and China.....( read more)

07 December 2005 Confirmation of additional human infections in Indonesia and China.....( read more)

November 2005  

30 November 2005 Confirmation of an additional human infections in Indonesia.....( read more)

25 November 2005 Confirmation of two additional human infections in China and Vietnam.....( read more)

17 November 2005 China and Indonesia report human cases of influenza A (H5N1) ......( read more)

14 November 2005 Confirmation of an additional human infection in Thailand.....( read more)

09 November 2005 Confirmation of an additional human infection in Viet Nam.....( read more)

07 November 2005 Confirmation of two additional human infections in Indonesia.....( read more)

01 November 2005 Confirmation of an additional human infection in Thailand.....( read more)

October 2005  

25 October 2005 Cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) reported from Thailand and Indonesia....( read more)

23 October 2005 Confirmation of H5N1 avian influenza in a bird in UK quarantine...( read more)

14 October 2005 Avian influenza identified in domestic birds in Turkey.......( read more)

12 October 2005 Fifth laboratory confirmed case of H5N1 reported from Indonesia....( read more)

September 2005  

23 September 2005 Third laboratory confirmed case of H5N1 reported from Indonesia... ( read more)

19 September 2005 Indonesia reports second laboratory-confirmed case ....( read more)

August 2005  

08 August 2005 Three new cases of human influenza A (H5N1) infection in Vietnam...( read more)

02 August 2005 Confirmation of an additional human infection in Indonesia...( read more)

July 2005  

21 July 2005 Situation update on Indonesian deaths... ( read more)

20 July 2005 WHO recommendations for influenza A/H5N1 vaccine prototype strains... ( read more)

June 2005  

20 June 2005 Human cases of avian influenza in Hanoi hospital, Vietnam - update... ( read more)

17 June 2005 Human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Hanoi Hospital, Viet Nam... ( read more)

15 June 2005 Further human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Viet Nam... ( read more)

09 June 2005 Further human cases of avian influenza ( H5N1) in Viet Nam... ( read more)

May 2005  

06 May 2005 Further human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Viet Nam... ( read more)

19 May 2005 Changes in influenza A (H5N1) epidemiology discussed by the WHO... ( read more)

 

China reports another fatal case of influenza A (H5N1) infection

On the 30 December 2005 an additional case of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from China (a 41 year-old woman, who died on 21 December 2005)

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 51).

 

Two fatal cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection reported from Indonesia

On the 23 December 2005 two fatal human infections of influenza A (H5N1) were reported from Indonesia (an 8 year old boy, who died on 15 December 2005 and a 39 year-old man, who died on 12 December)

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 50).

 

New cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in Indonesia and China

On the 14 December 2005 an additional fatal human infection of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from Indonesia ( a 35 year old man, who died on 19 November 2005)

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 48).

On the 16 December 2005 an additional human infection of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from China ( a 35 year-old man, who remains hospitalised).

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 49).

 

Confirmation of additional human infections in Thailand and China

On the 09 December 2005 two additional human infections of influenza A (H5N1) were reported from China (a 31-year old woman, who was discharged from hospital on 29 November 2005) and Thailand ( a 5 year-old boy, who died on 07 December 2005).

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 47).

 

Confirmation of additional human infections in Indonesia and China

On the 06 December 2005 an additional human infection of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from Indonesia, a 25 year-old woman from Tangerang (near Jakarta), who died on 25 November 2005.

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 45).

On the 07 December 2005 an additional human infection of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from China, a 10 year-old girl from Guangxi Province, who remains hospitalised.

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 46).

   

China and Vietnam report human cases of influenza A (H5N1)

On the 29 November 2005 an additional human infections of influenza A (H5N1) was reported from Indonesia, a 16 year-old boy from West Java Province.

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 44).

   

China and Vietnam report human cases of influenza A (H5N1)

On the 24 and 25 November 2005 two additional human infections of influenza A (H5N1) were reported from China ( 35- year old woman from Anhui province) and Vietnam ( 15 year-old boy from Hai Phong Province).

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 42), and situation update (Number 43).

 

China and Indonesia report human cases of influenza A (H5N1)

On the 17 November 2005 China reported the country's first two human cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in a 9- year old boy and 24-year old woman.

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia have also reported two additional cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in a 16-year-old girl and 20-year old woman from Jakarta.

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 41).

 

Confirmation of an additional human infection in Thailand

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported an additional case of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Bangkok, Thailand. The child, aged 18 months, developed symptoms on 01 November 2005.

Further details can be obtained from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 40).

 

Confirmation of an additional human infection in Viet Nam

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported an additional fatal case of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Viet Nam..

Further details are available from the World Health Organization situation update (Number 39).

 

Confirmation of two additional human infections in Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported two additional cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Indonesia.

Further details are available in the WHO situation update (Number 38).

 

Additional case of avian influenza A (H5N1) reported from Thailand

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported an additional case of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Thailand.

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has confirmed an additional case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza. The patient, a 50 year old woman from Bangkok, developed symptoms on 26 October, three days after visiting her husband on 23 October in Nonthaburi Province, north of Bangkok, where backyard chickens had begun to die a few days earlier.

She was hospitalised on 29 October and remains hospitalised in a satisfactory condition. Field investigations have not found any indications of respiratory illness in close contacts of the patient.

This is the third confirmed case reported in Thailand in the past month. These cases coincide with a recurrence of confirmed H5 outbreaks in poultry in 6 provinces mostly in Central Thailand. Since the start of the outbreaks in Asia, 20 cases have been confirmed in Thailand, 13 of which have been fatal.

 

Additional cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) reported from Thailand and Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported four additional cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in South East Asia.

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand reported the death of a 48 year old man from and the hospitalisation of his 7 year old son. The father and son are suspected to have developed symptoms after contact with diseased poultry in Kanchanaburi province. These are the first cases reported from Thailand in nearly a year.

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia have also reported two confirmed cases of influenza a (H5N1) infection; a 23 year old man from Bogor, West Java who died on 30 September 2005 and a four -year old from Sumatra Island in Lampung Province who was hospitalised in early October and subsequently recovered.

Epidemiological investigation into all of these cases have identified periods of exposure to infected poultry as a likely source of infection.

Further details can be found on the WHO Avian Influenza website.

Fifth laboratory confirmed case of H5N1 reported from Indonesia

Indonesia reported a fifth case of laboratory-confirmed influenza A (H5N1) infection on Monday 10 October 2005. The case, a man aged 21 years from Lampung, Sumatra, developed symptoms on 20 September.

Investigations into this incident are underway, and samples have been collected from family members and other close contact to rule out any further cases of infection. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the man had contact with diseased and dying chickens shortly before he became ill.

This case brings the total number of human infections with influenza A (H5N1) since December 2003 to 117.

 

Third laboratory confirmed case of H5N1 reported from Indonesia.

A third laboratory confirmed case of avian influenza of A (H5N1) has been reported from Indonesia. The 8 year-old boy, whose specimens tested positive for H5N1 infection, is currently receiving hospital treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) report that several other patients, with respiratory symptoms and a history of possible exposure, are also under observation and samples have been sent to the WHO reference laboratory in Hong Kong for analysis.

This is Indonesia's third case of laboratory confirmed influenza A (H5N1) since July 2005. Investigations into all three cases, conducted by the WHO and the Indonesian Ministry of Health, have found no evidence that the virus is spreading easily from person to person and therefore the WHO have stated they will not be raising the current level of pandemic alert in response to these new cases but will continue to monitor the situation closely.

 

Indonesia reports second laboratory-confirmed case of human influenza A (H5N1) infection

A second fatal case of avian influenza infection has been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The 37-year- old woman, who died on 10 September after developing symptoms on 31 August 2005, lived in Jakarta and the source of her infection has yet to be identified.

The Indonesian government, assisted by the WHO, is currently investigating those who had close contact with the woman, including the hospital staff that treated her. The woman lived in an area where contact with chickens and ducks could frequently occur and poultry samples have been taken by the agriculture authorities.

This is Indonesia's second laboratory-confirmed case and the country's fourth occurrence of fatal disease consistent with influenza A (H5N1) infection.

Further information can be access on the WHO website:

 

Three new cases of human influenza A (H5N1) infection in Vietnam.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed an additional three cases of human infection with influenza A (H5N1) in Vietnam. One case was reported in Ha Tay Province, one in Tra Vinh Province, and one in Ho Chi Minh City. Of the three individuals infected, two died, those from Tra Vinh and Ho Chi Minh City.

Since mid-December 2004 63 confirmed cases of influenza A (H5N1) have been reported from Vietnam, of which 20 have been fatal.

 

Confirmation of an additional human infection of influenza H5N1 in Indonesia

On 29 July, the World Health Organization confirmed that samples from an 8 year old girl from Tangerang, Banten Province had tested positive for influenza A (H5N1). The girl died on the 14 July, two days after the death of her father, who was Indonesia's first confirmed human infection of influenza A (H5N1).

Samples from the child's 1 year old sister, who died on 9 July, are still being tested and extensive local epidemiological and environmental investigations are being conducted into the source of the infection.

Click here for the full WHO update.

 

Avian Influenza - situation in Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a statement that the Ministry of Health in Indonesia has reported that a 38-year-old man who died on 12 July was the country's first laboratory confirmed H5N1 positive human case. His two daughters also died with a pneumonic illness compatible with H5N1 infection, but laboratory confirmation is not yet available. Samples from the 38-year-old tested positive for avian influenza H5N1 virus at the WHO H5 reference laboratories at the Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta USA.

Click here for the WHO full update.

 

WHO recommendations for influenza A/H5N1 vaccine prototype strains

The WHO H5 Reference Laboratory Network and WHO Collaborating Centres and Reference Laboratories have reviewed available data to assess the suitability of the H5N1 prototype strains selected by WHO last year for influenza A/H5N1 pandemic vaccine development. The results of genetic and antigenic analysis of 2004 and 2005 human and animal viruses received from afftected countries, did not provide any convincing evidence to change the WHO recommended A/H5N1 influenza vaccine prototype strains. Therefore, the WHO recommendations from April 2004 remain unchanged.

Click here for the WHO full statement

Click here for further WHO information on avian influenza

 

Human cases of avian influenza in Hanoi hospital, Vietnam - update

The World Heath Organization has issued a statement reporting that the Ministry of Health in Viet Nam has confirmed that four cases of human infection with influenza (H5N1) occurred in Viet Nam between 01 to 17 June 2005. Two of the patients are from Hanoi, one is from the nearby province of Hai Duong and one from the central province of Nghe An.

All four patients remain alive and are among seven patients being treated for H5N1 infection at a hospital in Hanoi.

This brings the total number of confirmed human influenza (H5N1) infections in Viet Nam, since mid-December 2004 to 59, 18 of which have been fatal.

 

Human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Hanoi Hospital, Viet Nam

The World Health Organization (WHO) have reported that they are aware of media reports pertaining to the existence of six additional patients and a health care worker infected with avian influenza (H5N1) in Hanoi hospital, Viet Nam.

The WHO have acknowledged that these reports appear accurate and they are currently seeking further information from the Ministry of Health, as no official confirmation has yet been given.

 

Further human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Viet Nam

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a statement confirming a further three human cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam informed the WHO that all three infections, which occurred during the last two weeks of May, were detected in individuals from Hanoi who remain alive. No further data about these cases have been provided to the WHO.

This brings the total number of confirmed human infections in Viet Nam, since mid-December 2004, to 55. Of these infected individuals, three remain hospitalised in Hanoi and 18 have died.

Further information is available from WHO

 

Further human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Viet Nam

On 08 June 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement confirming a further three human cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in Viet Nam.

The most recently detected case was reported on 26 April, but no further details regarding the individuals involved have been released by the Ministry of Health in Viet Nam.

In the same communication, an additional death was confirmed. This brings the total number of confirmed human infections in Viet Nam, since mid-December 2004, to 52. Of these infected individuals, two remain hospitalised and 18 have died.

Further information is available from WHO.

 

Further human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Viet Nam

On 04 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement confirming a further case of influenza A (H5N1) infection in Cambodia.

The Ministry of health confirmed that samples taken from a 20-year-old woman from Kampot province had tested positive for influenza A (H5) infection. The woman, Cambodia's fourth reported case of avian influenza, died on 19 April 2005 in a Vietnamese hospital.

Investigations into poultry deaths in the Kompong Trach district in Kampot province, where the woman attended school, are being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and staff from the Cambodian Ministry of Health are conducting active case finding in the area.

Since January 2004, 89 human cases of avian influenza have been reported in Asia, of which 52 have been fatal.

 

Changes in influenza A (H5N1) epidemiology discussed by World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has organised an inter-country consultation in Manila to discuss the implications of an apparent change in the epidemiology of Influenza A (H5N1) infection in Asia. These changes became apparent during investigations into cases of human infection in northern Viet Nam earlier this year. Concerns were raised as these changes are consistent with those expected when recently emerging influenza viruses become increasingly infectious for humans.

The observed changes included the following:

Preliminary virological investigations have also identified differences between influenza H5N1 genes from affected areas, suggesting that they are becoming increasingly antigenically diverse. WHO stated that, as yet, these findings are not fully clear, although they do indicate that the viruses are evolving and are continuing to pose a potentially growing pandemic threat. In response to the concern generated by these findings, they have recommended that steps be taken to complete pandemic preparatory actions in all countries and accelerate the control of avian influenza in poultry in those countries affected.

WHO's full assessment of the current situation is available from the WHO website.

Further information is available from WHO.
Information from WHO website regarding the consumption of poultry.
WHO guidance on infection control in health care facilities

Last reviewed: 7 January 2011