Please note there is new information almost daily. For the most current and accurate information, visit http://www.pandemicflu.gov, and look under the heading "Monitoring Outbreaks". The USGS site is very helpful in tracking current wildlife outbreaks and news stories. The WHO site gives the most current and accurate lab confirmed human case and human death totals.
Current human death rate from the H5N1 strain is 60.7% (
270 cases, 164 deaths). There have been three additional human cases, one in Egypt and two in Indonesia. All were young women with known exposure to ill poultry and both cases were fatal. The WHO is currently investigating 2 suspect cases in Nigeria. The cases are related and samples were only taken from 1 of them. Confirmatory testing results should become available soon. There have been three additional human cases, one in Egypt and two in Indonesia. All were young women with known exposure to ill poultry and both cases were fatal. The WHO is currently investigating 2 suspect cases in Nigeria. The cases are related and samples were only taken from 1 of them. Confirmatory testing results should become available soon.
Two of the fatal cases in Egypt from December have been linked to being resistant to the anti-viral, oseltamivir. Both patients had been on the drug for two days when the clinical specimens of the virus were taken. The WHO reports:
At this time there is no indication that oseltamivir resistance is widespread in Egypt or elsewhere. WHO is not making any changes in antiviral treatment recommendations for H5N1-infected persons published in June 2006 because the clinical level of resistance of these mutations is not yet well established. Current laboratory testing suggests that the level of reduced susceptibility is moderate. This mutation has previously been identified in Viet Nam in one case in 2005. Moreover, these mutations are not associated with any known change in the transmissibility of the virus between humans. Based on these considerations, the public health implications at this time are limited. Finally, these findings do not indicate a need for a change in phase level. The WHO pandemic preparedness level remains at three.
WHO Laboratory Confirmed H5N1 Human Cases As of 1/29/07
| Country | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Total | ||||||
| cases | deaths | cases | deaths | cases | deaths | cases | deaths | cases | deaths | cases | deaths | |
| Azerbaijan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
| Cambodia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 21 | 0 | 22 | 14 |
| Djibouti | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Egypt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 11 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 12 | 56 | 46 | 6 | 5 | 81 | 63 |
| Iraq | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Thailand | 0 | 0 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 17 |
| Turkey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| Viet Nam | 3 | 3 | 29 | 20 | 61 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 42 |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 46 | 32 | 97 | 42 | 114 | 79 | 4 | 3 | 270 | 164 |
Total number of cases includes number of deaths.
WHO reports only laboratory-confirmed cases.