Iraq confirms third bird flu case

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Sep 19 2006

The Ministry of Health in Iraq has retrospectively confirmed the country's third case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The case, a 3-year-old boy, was hospitalized in Baghdad on 15 March 2006. His illness was mild and he fully recovered.

During its outbreak, which is now considered over, Iraq faced problems in the shipment of specimens for external verification of diagnostic tests. For the retrospectively confirmed case, initial test results were inconclusive, possibly as a result of sample deterioration during shipment. Repeated testing, using different methods, was needed for diagnostic confirmation.

The two cases previously confirmed in Iraq occurred in January 2006. Both cases were fatal.

Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO

19 September 2006

Country	2003		2004		2005		2006		Total
Country	cases	deaths	cases	deaths	cases	deaths	cases	deaths	cases	deaths
Azerbaijan	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	5	8	5
Cambodia	0	0	0	0	4	4	2	2	6	6
China	1	1	0	0	8	5	12	8	21	14
Djibouti	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Egypt	0	0	0	0	0	0	14	6	14	6
Indonesia	0	0	0	0	19	12	46	37	65	49
Iraq	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	3	2
Thailand	0	0	17	12	5	2	2	2	24	16
Turkey	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	4	12	4
Viet Nam	3	3	29	20	61	19	0	0	93	42
Total	4	4	46	32	97	42	100	66	247	144