First Iraqi case of Avian Flu reported
Monday, January 30, 2006
- 65th human bird flu case reported In Egypt
- Taiwan culls 18000 chickens due to H5N2 virus outbreak
- Bangladesh reports first human case of H5N1 bird flu
- H5N1 Avian Flu virus has mutated, study says
- Wild Canadian Goose tests positive for H5N1 in England
The first case of Avian Flu in Iraq was announced today by the country's Health Minister, Abdel Mutalib Mohammed. The preliminary result was reportedly from a United States military laboratory in Cairo; the World Health Organisation are expected to seek confirmation of this from a UK laboratory.
The victim was Shangen Abdul Qader, a 15-year-old girl from the northern Kurdish village of Raniya. Her suspected H5N1 infection killed her on January 17. The death of the girl's uncle is also believed to be under investigation due to him having symptoms that may indicate flu.
The area of Iraq where the suspected deaths occurred borders Turkey where there have been 12 confirmed cases of which four resulted in death. Turkey's last reported victim, Fatma Ozcan, was also aged 15.
[edit] Sources
- "Iraq admits a single case of bird flu" — Bangkok Post, January 30, 2006
- "Iraq confirms first case of bird flu" — Al Jazeera, January 30, 2006
- Twana Osman. "Iraq says dead teenager had bird flu" — Reuters, January 30, 2006
- "Iraqis 'confirm' bird flu death" — BBC News Online, January 30, 2006
- "Fourth bird flu death in Turkey" — BBC News Online, January 16, 2006
