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H5N1 in 2012: The Year in Review

 

 


# 6815

 

For several years now, Laidback Al (Editor–Senior Moderator–& Newshound) on FluTrackers – has published  a terrific overview of the previous year’s global H5N1 activity in early January.

 

You’ll find his 2010, and 2011 summaries here, and here.

 

Today Al has posted another detailed and highly informative analysis of the past year’s H5N1 human cases (complete with his signature charts & graphs).

 

This fine piece of work is a `keeper’, and I’ve already saved it to my desktop as a PDF file. I’m sure I’ll refer to it often over the next year or so, as I have with his earlier efforts. 

 

A few excerpts follow, but use the link and download this entire review.

 

H5N1 in 2012: The Year in Review

Laidback Al, Senior Moderator, www.FluTrackers.com
January 1, 2013


Abstract – In 2012, 32 human cases of H5N1 were reported from around the world, the lowest number of reported human cases since the World Health Organization (WHO) began reporting H5N1 cases in 2003. In 2012, six countries reported cases, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. More than 60% of the reported cases died, a slight increase in the fatality rate over 2011. Although there were only 32 cases reported in 2012, five are associated with two clusters. The source of infection for all of the cases has been reported as exposure to sick and dying poultry.

 

Also, in 2012, controversy over H5N1 laboratory experimentation erupted, several genetic studies were published, and seroprevalence results were evaluated. Although fewer cases were reported in 2012 than preceding years, an H5N1 pandemic is still a potential worldwide public health threat.

Background

Influenza A(H5N1) (often referred to “bird flu” or avian influenza or HPAI) is a novel influenza virus. It was first detected in humans in Hong Kong in 1997. Since 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring human outbreaks of H5N1, because of its potential to become a pandemic virus. The current WHO report on Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses and associated animal health events was updated on December 17, 2012. Through December 31, 2012, WHO has officially reported a total of 610 confirmed human cases of H5N1. The most recent WHO time line of significant events associated with the H5N1 virus was last updated on June 15, 2012 (link).

 

The following summary of human cases from 2012 is generally organized according to the outlined presented last year in “A Summary of Human H5N1 Cases in 2011”(FT link). Additional discussions of H5N1 topics from 2012 are also presented in this review.

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(continue . . . )

 

 

Highly recommended.

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