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 59.1% (257 cases, 152 deaths).  The newest case is a 39 year old woman from Egypt who died 10/30/06. Details regarding her poultry exposure were unknown at the time of this update.

Three additional cases have come from Indonesia and all three cases were fatal. The first newly confirmed case occurred in a 67-year-old woman from West Java Province. She developed symptoms on 3 October, was hospitalized on 7 October, and died on 15 October. Diagnosis was complicated by the presence of chronic diseases. Chickens reportedly died in her household and neighborhood prior to symptom onset. The second case was an 11-year-old male from South Jakarta, Jakarta Province. He developed symptoms on 2 October, was hospitalized on 5 October, and died on 14 October. His recent history included exposure to dead chickens in his neighborhood. The third case was a 27-year-old female from Central Java Province. She developed symptoms on 8 October, was hospitalized on 12 October, and died on 13 October. The source of her exposure is currently under investigation.

States continue to conduct routine bird surveillance. Several states have uncovered low pathogenic H5N1 flu strains in various species of birds, but these strains pose no threat to human health.

WHO Laboratory Confirmed H5N1 Human Cases As of 10/31/06

Total number of cases includes number of deaths.
WHO reports only laboratory-confirmed cases.

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