Egypt sole reporter of steady stream of H5N1 avian flu cases

With two new cases of H5N1 avian flu confirmed in late November, Egypt remains the only country to have reported human infections of the virus since Vietnam announced a fatal case in early May, according to data broadcast by the World Health Organization (WHO). Egypt's Central Public Health Laboratories have reported a steady stream of 21 cases and four deaths since then. They bring the number of cases in the country this year to 38, with four deaths. In contrast with this unusually high survival rate for H5N1, the four cases reported by Vietnam this year were all fatal. The only other country to have reported cases in 2009 is China, with seven cases and four deaths. The global WHO-confirmed totals since 2003 stand at 444 cases, with 262 deaths.