4 cases and 3 deaths in one week, with 3 of the 4 cases from Minya governate, which has just 5 million of Egypt's 87 million population. That's quite a coincidence, given the short time frame. I really hope we're not going to be told they were all from the same family.

This is a PLOS article from 2012 but worth a reread and is just as relevant today!




Egyptian H5N1 Influenza Viruses—Cause for Concern?


Published: November 15, 2012
•DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002932


http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1002932

Another death from H5N1, again in Minya, this time a 26 year old man. It's beginning to look like there's a strain in the region which transmits more easily from birds to humans than other strains. Question is, does that mean it transmits more easily between people?

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12031402/H5N1_Egypt_7.html

Yet another confirmed case, a 33 year old male, but not from Minya. 

Egypt on alert over bird flu


Concern that its Dh11b poultry industry faces the prospect of collapse
By Ramadan Al Sherbini Correspondent
Published: 13:30 December 3, 2014


Cairo: Egyptian health authorities have maximised their measures to combat bird flu (H5N1), after the virus killed six people this year in this country of around 87 million people.


Health Minister Dr Adel Al Adwai on Wednesday held a crisis meeting with an ad-hoc committee to discuss efforts to combat the virus amid expectations of a rise in infections this winter.


The Health Ministry called on poultry breeders to observe precautionary measures while dealing with birds in the winter when the avian virus usually spreads. The ministry has said it has enough stocks of Tamiflu used to treat the virus.


“A relative increase is expected in the number of the recorded H5N1 cases this year especially as the virus has become endemic in Egypt,” said Dr Amr Qandil, an aide to the health minister. “The Higher Commission on Bird Flu meets on a daily basis to monitor the situation.”


Residents of Egypt’s rural areas traditionally rear birds inside houses to meet their needs of meat and eggs, raising authorities’ concerns about a wider spread of the virus.


Head of the Veterinarians’ Association, Sami Taha, warned in press remarks, that Egypt’s Dh11 billion poultry industry faces the prospect of collapse unless more effective steps are taken to contain the epidemic.


Around one million of the nation’s workforce are employed in this industry, according to official figures.


Egypt has identified this year 12 cases of H5N1 infections, six of them fatal. A total of 66 people have died of bird flu in the country since 2006, according to health authorities.

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/egypt-on-alert-over-bird-flu-1.1421538

Anything wrote: What I find a bit disturbing is that the Egyptian authorities only test for H5N1, if there is evidence of contact with poultry. H to H transmission is probably a long shot, but it's still possible such cases are being missed