# 2695
A few hours ago AsiaNews reported that there were 5 patients hospitalized in Nepal, suspected of having H5N1, and that they were in `critical condition'.
While I posted this account, I expressed considerable skepticism over the details.
Well, we now have another report, this time from the Himalayan News Service, which attempts to downplay any idea of human infections, but does admit to ` 3 suspected people being watched'.
Exactly what that entails, isn't stated. Are they in isolation? I can't tell from this article.
It is a far cry from `5 people in critical condition', however.
No positive tests have been announced (or negative tests, either) and the condition of these `suspect cases' isn't mentioned.
We've seen cases in India where cullers have been hospitalized, and even placed in isolation, because they exhibited flu-like symptoms. In none of those cases was H5N1 ever announced to be the cause of their illness.
So we basically have two widely diverging accounts of what is going on in Nepal.
I don't have an abundance of faith in either one of them.
Our only recourse is to wait and see what develops.
Bird flu comes to nepal:So far, so good for humans
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, January 23:
Though the outbreak of bird flu has been reported in Jhapa district, not a single case of the disease in human has been recorded till date, according to the Department of Health Services.
“Not even a single case of bird flu in humans has been recorded so far. But we have kept three suspected people under watch for a week,” Dr Manas Banerjee, coordinator of Avian Influenza Control Project, said.
“Even if the case is diagnosed in humans, we have full mechanism to treat the patients in isolation. We will treat the patients in incubation for a week. We will discharge them only after full treatment,” he added. He said they were fully prepared to containthe disease.
“Health personnel, who are in direct contact with the patients, are the most vulnerable to the disease,” he said. He also emphasised the need to inform people about the disease.
Baikuntha Parajuli, director general of Department of Livestock Services, said they had culled 23,830 chickens, 373 ducks and 292 pigeons and had destroyed 4,848 eggs so far.
“So far, only 15 chickens have died of bird flu,” he said, adding,”We had to cull all domesticated birds, eggs and diet within the 3-km radius of the infected area as per the existing provisions to combat the outbreak.”“We have put our teams on high alert to take necessary steps to contain the spread of the disease,” Govinda Prasad Ojha, director general of Department of Health Services, said. He also said the department was providing free medial services to people in risk of catching the disease.
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