Health Ministry: 27 new cases of bird flu in 2014, 11 fatalities

A total of 27 confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu were reported in Egypt in 2014, with 11 of those cases proving fatal, according to a Ministry of Health statement issued Wednesday.

The latest two bird flu fatalities were announced on Monday. A three-year-old boy passed away from the virus in the Giza governorate, as well as a 30-year-old woman from the Nile Delta governorate of Monufiya.

This past week saw a marked increase in bird flu infections, with six individuals hospitalized after testing positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus.

Ministry officials point out that the vast majority of bird flu infections and fatalities are reported in rural areas, with most victims being women and children involved in raising or handling poultry.

According to the ministry’s official count for 2014, these 27 confirmed cases of bird flu infections resulted in 12 full recoveries and 11 fatalities, while four patients are still hospitalized or receiving medical attention.

While Egypt’s average fatality rate remained stable throughout the year at around 37 percent, these latest deaths have raised the fatality rate from bird flu infections to nearly 41 percent.

Egypt has confirmed some 200 cases of bird flu infections since the virus first emerged in the country back in 2006, the vast majority of whom have fully recovered.

The Health Ministry advises those in contact with live poultry to cover their noses and mouths, and to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water after coming in contact with live or dead birds.

The anti-viral medication Tamiflu is to be administered at the hospital within 24 hours of the emergence of fever-like symptoms after handling poultry.