H5N1

Chile: Health ministry reports first human case of H5N1, in north of country

I believe this is the first case of human H5N1 contracted in the Americas. Via La Nación: Minsal informa primer caso humano de gripe aviar en el norte del país.[Health ministry report first human case of avian flu in the north of the country] The full report, with my translation:

El Ministerio de Salud (Minsal) informó la tarde de este miércoles el primer caso en Chile de gripe aviar en humanos, reportado en el norte del país. 

The Ministry of health reported Tuesday afternoon on the first case in Chile of avian flu in a human, reported in the north of the country.

La persona enferma corresponde a un hombre de 53 años afectado por un cuadro de influenza grave. El paciente se encuentra estable dentro de su gravedad. 

The person is a 53-year-old man with a case of severe influenza. The patient is in serious but stable condtion.

Se indicó que se activaron los protocolos sanitarios establecidos para el manejo de esta enfermedad y se tomaron los exámenes correspondientes para su análisis por el Instituto de Salud Pública (ISP), que confirmó que se trata de influenza aviar. 

The ministry said it had activated health protocols established for control of the disease; tests were analyzed by the Institute of Public Health, which confirmed the disease was avian flu.

Se investiga la fuente de contacto y si existen antecedentes de otros afectados en el entorno del paciente. 

The source of the infection in being investigated, as well as the possibility of others' infection among the patient's contacts.

El virus H5N1 o gripe aviar es un virus que se puede transmitir desde aves o mamíferos marinos al ser humano, pero no se conocen casos de contagios de humano a humano. 

The H5N1 virus, or avian flu, can be transmitted from birds or infected marine mammals to humans, but human-to-human cases are unknown.

El Ministerio de Salud hace un llamado a la ciudadanía a no manipular aves o mamíferos enfermos o muertos e insta a los trabajadores avícolas a seguir los protocolos de seguridad correspondientes y a vacunarse contra la influenza estacional.

The Ministry of Health asked the public not to handle or touch birds of marine mammals, whether sick or dead, and asked workers in the poultry industry to follow the appropriate safety protocols and to obtaain a vaccination against seasonly influenza.

Kirundo-Muyinga: A mysterious disease with symptoms resembling those of the Ebola virus appears

Via SOS Médias Burundi, a March 27 report: Kirundo-Muyinga: a mysterious disease with symptoms resembling those of the Ebola virus appears. The Google translation:

An as yet unidentified disease killed three people in three days in the commune of Gitobe in the province of Kirundo and in the commune of Butihinda in the province of Muyinga (north-eastern Burundi). 

Symptoms developed by patients suffering from this disease resemble those of Ebola hemorrhagic virus or Marburg virus disease. In the case of Kirundo, the governor and the provincial doctor are waiting for the results of samples taken by specialists from the INSP (National Institute of Public Health) to decide.  

The ministry in charge of health has already confirmed for that of Muyinga that it is neither the Marburg virus disease nor Ebola. (SOS Media Burundi) This disease, not yet identified but having signs similar to those of Ebola, has just claimed the lives of two people in the commune of Gitobe. Both people died within 24 hours of showing the signs. All the patients come from the same Migwa hill, in the Baziro area.  

According to witnesses on the spot, "the symptoms include abdominal pain, nasal bleeding which increases after death, acute headaches, high fever, vomiting and dizziness". This disease kills very quickly, noted a nurse interviewed by SOS Media Burundi.  

“It's a disease that kills quickly. Within 24 hours, the infected person dies. It's terrible, we are all waiting for death," said a panicked nurse from the Migwa health center in the Gashoho health district in Muyinga province where patients were sent, including two women who died there.

When the population of Baziro wanted to bring the third person there, the population of Migwa blocked the entrances, fearing the spread of the disease. For the moment no one can leave the area of ​​Baziro which, it seems, has been confined. 

Samples were taken by the INSP to identify which disease it is.  

But until now the disease is not yet detected, according to doctors.  

In the morning of Friday, the governor of Kirundo, Albert Hatungimana, accompanied by the provincial doctor, carried out a raid in the commune of Gitobe, but they made no forecast.  

"We are awaiting the results of the swabs," a member of the governor's cabinet said.  

The population is worried because, she says, "So far no real prevention strategy against this disease has been communicated".  

“Apart from washing your hands and avoiding greeting each other, there are no strict measures, which can promote contamination,” residents insisted.  

Note that at Kirundo hospital, the first case was also admitted on Friday evening. In the commune of Ntega (same province), people with the same symptoms were reported on the same Friday evening.  

The population of the urban center of Kirundo lives in panic fear. She asks the government to declare the epidemic so that there is a rapid intervention.  

Another case was recorded in Giteranyi commune, Muyinga province (neighboring Kirundo). A student from Kobero Basic School not far from the border with Tanzania, died of this disease last Thursday.  

Tanzania declared a Marburg virus epidemic on March 21. A cousin of Ebola, this “filovirus” causes high fevers accompanied by virulent haemorrhages. So far, there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease, which can also attack primates. It is suspected that it is the Marburg virus which has spread in the Burundian provinces bordering Tanzania, the epidemic having been detected in the Kagera region in the north-west of Tanzania not far from Burundi and Rwanda .