Turkey Reports Two Human Cases of Bird Flu

They have not determined if the cause was the H5N1, but samples are being tested as we speak

ANKARA, Turkey - A 14-year-old farm boy who died after developing pneumonia-like symptoms has tested positive for bird flu, Turkey's health minister said Wednesday. If confirmed in further tests, it would be the first human death from the ailment outside of east Asia.

The boy's sister, who is hospitalized and in serious condition, also tested positive for bird flu, Health Minister Recep Akdag said. A third sibling is also suspected of having bird flu, he said.
Turkey Reports Two Human Cases of Bird Flu

Hey Fred...

Seems CNN reported a lot more people (9) in serious condition, over and above the orginal brother/sister and 3 other kids.

This cluster is by far and away the largest so far...

Hope H2H has not started!

Stay tunned.

they just said that they didnt have this bird flu sy

Originally posted by gman55
Hey Fred...

Seems CNN reported a lot more people (9) in serious condition, over and above the orginal brother/sister and 3 other kids.

Typing is still being done. But in all the talk of H5N1 people have lost sight the Infuenza in almost any form can be a nasty little bugger.


engenerQ do you have a source? So I can change the title?

alright i just re checked earler they say he didnt have it, now the boy and his sister has tested posative but just them and 9 others in that city......

heres my problem no one has got it out side of asia now turky so some how it just got to this kid if he does have it........ wierd

this bothers me that i find this in the same page in MSNBC that scientists say they fire it could evolve to the F5N1....errr could evolve wait

Here is a condensed tally from Dr. Niman's site...

www.recombinomics.com...

Commentary
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Twenty Six Suspected Bird Flu Patients Hospitalized in Turkey?

Recombinomics Commentary
January 5, 2006

Five additional patients, also with flu-like symptoms, have been hospitalized in Erzurum

The above comments suggest that the number of patients hospitalized in Turkey has grown to 26 and come from four provinces.

Media reports support the following breakdown.

15 patients were hospitalized in Van. These patients included the four Kocygit siblings (two have died and one is in critical condition) as well as 8 members of the Ozkan family and two additional people from Agri Province. There is also one patient from Van. The lack of reported poultry infections in Van, coupled with the large number of patients in Van raise the possibility of transmission to a health care worker in Van.

In addition to the 15 patients in Van, there are 6 patients from Igdir as well as the 5 patients described above from Erzurum.

Thus, the total is 26 patients from four provinces including four siblings from one family (Kocygit) and 8 members of another family (Okzan).

The dramatic increase in hospitalized patients in sparsely populated eastern Turkey is cause for concern. Most of the patients have breathing difficulties and are on ventilators. Two have died and at least one is in critical condition.

Outbreaks of dead birds have been reported in Igdir, Agri, Eruzum, and Kars Provinces suggesting H5N1 is easily passed from poultry to humans. This increased efficiency is cause for concern because the H5N1 that is efficiently transmitted is present in at least three provinces and will likely spread this strain further in the Middle East and Africa.

More information of the sequences of H5N1, including position 227 of HA, from poultry and people would be useful.


As always, many thanks to Dr. Niman and his insights.