WHO confirms three human deaths from bird flu in Azerbaijan - UPDATED

March 15
14:00

The analysis of blood samples of patients with "Bird flu" suspicion sent to the UK March 15 at 04:00 (local time). The samples will reach London March 16.

The World Health Organization (WHO) asserted the initial diagnosis of death of 3 people of "Bird flu" virus in Azerbaijan.

March 15 three experts of the WHO arrived in Azerbaijan to assist fighting with "Bird flu". They are Simon Mardel, an expert of the WHO on "Bird flu" clinic, Caroline Brown, as expert of the WHO on splashes of "Bird flu", and Christina Salvi, PR manager.

Mardel will stay in Baku till March 29, Brown and Salvi – till March 24.

Earlier two specialists more of the WHO, epidemiologists Naomi Boxal and Andreas Gilsdors arrived in Azerbaijan and will stay by the end of March.

----------

"Tests carried out by WHO experts confirmed the deadly bird flu strain in three people," the Azeri Health Ministry said in a press release early on Tuesday morning, Interfax reports.

"However, six residents of Azerbaijan's Salyan district hospitalized with bird flu-like symptoms do not have bird flu. The test results are being verified," the release reads.

----------

March 13
19:40

"Results of the suspected bird flu analyses are expected to be received today before 22.00 P.M from the Baku laboratory," Health Minister Oktay Shiraliyev told Trend on Monday.

According to Shiraliyev, these samples were taken from all the patients suspected with "Bird Flu" virus, including the samples from the residents of Salyan villages, who have died with pneumonia symptoms.

"Results of the work conducted in a new lab, equipped by the World Health Organization, would be announced on Monday," Shiraliyev emphasized.

As for dispatching analyses samples to the special lab in London, according to minister, this may take place in the recent time.

----------

12:45

Four persons suspected to be infected with "Bird flu" continue their treatment, the spokesman for the Health Ministry, Samaya Mammadova informs.

According to Trend, three of them are in Hospital 7, including resident of Dayikend village, Salyan district - Schaxsenem Ibrahimova, 2.5 years old, who has arrived at hospital on March 6.

"Her condition is considered to be stable and she is in the process of recovery," Mammadova said.

Amrah Ismayilov, 9, from Sarvan village, Salyan district is considered to be in satisfactory condition and Maleyka Rzazade, Narimanov District of Baku resident is in medium hard condition.

Ziyafet Mukhtarov, 35, also from Salyan, is receiving treatment in the lung diseases center. His condition is considered to be satisfactory.

Some of the patients can be signed out of the hospitals in the coming days, head of the press-service added. 

----------

On Friday 16-year old Shahriyar Asgarov, the resident of the Daikand village, Salyan region, who has been hospitalized with the Bird Flu symptoms, died at the Scientific Research Institute of Lung Diseases, Trend reports referring to a news release by the Azerbaijani Health Ministry. But the Ministry insist that the official cause of the death was double pneumonia and lung deficiency.

The last diagnosis of the patient will be determined on the results of the test at the London laboratory.

----------

01:00

Eleven suspected human cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, three of them fatal, are under investigation in Azerbaijan, the World Health Organisation said Thursday.

Maria Cheng, spokeswoman for the UN health agency, told ?F? that the suspected victims, including eight members of a single family, all came from the same village near the Azerbaijani capital Baku.

"It is possible that they caught H5N1, because we already know that poultry were hit by the virus in neighbouring areas," said Cheng.

Flocks belonging to the patients had also been infected, but experts had yet to identify by what, she added.

Samples from the suspected human victims were being sent to a WHO-accredited laboratory in London to establish whether they had the H5N1 virus, Cheng said.

The results could be available in 24 hours or within two weeks, depending on the sample quality, she noted.

On Sunday, Azerbaijani authorities said they were investigating whether the deaths of two young children in the republic were caused by bird flu.

The two children were part of a family whose six members had been hospitalised with suspected pneumonia.

Several days earlier, Azerbaijani authorities had said that the H5N1 virus had hit poultry flocks, and ordered the slaughter of half a million birds.

Since it resurfaced in 2003, the virus has infected 175 people in seven countries and killed 96 of them, according to the WHO.

H5N1 spreads from birds to people in close proximity, but experts fear that it could mutate into a form that transmits easily among humans, leading to a global pandemic that could claim millions of lives.

/BakuTODAY/

----------

March 8
21:20

Salyan resident, 16 years old Gunel Gasimova, previously had been quarantined on suspicion of having Bird Flu, died in the hospital, RIA Novosti informs.

Azerbaijani Health Ministry said the treatment of late Gunel Gasimova were provided according with all recomendations of WHO. Samples of the virus are sent to the laboratory in London.

Health Ministry informs that WHO's two experts are currently working in Azerbaijan. They will stay in the country till the end of March.

----------

March 7
21:15

The Baku Hospital No.7 head doctor Mahabbat Ibrahimova told APA that four more Bird Flu suspects were hospitalized on Monday evening.

She said that hospitalized are Salyan residents- sister and brother - 14-year old Ahmadov Yashar and 17-year old Ahmadova Kamila, 13-year old Mammadova Agaselim Arif and a Kyurdamir resident 20-year old Manafov Elsever Panah.

Salyan Central Hospital and Kyurdamir Central Hospital sent them to Baku Hospital #7 because of their bird flu contracting probability.

Ms.Ibrahimova said that Mammadova was diagnosed to have quinsy and the other three patients were diagnosed to have been infected with sharp respiratory virus. But all of them are under doctor control.

There are 5 bird flu suspects in this hospital currently. 6-year old Salyan resident Shahsenem Ibrahimova, who was hospitalized some days ago, may be discharged today. Her condition is satisfactory at present.

----------

March 6
13:23

Health Ministry brings light on death of girls suspected of Bird flu infection.
 
The reason causing death of Asgarova Nabat, in Salyan region of Azerbaijan, was not Bird flu virus, Samaya Mammadova, Health Ministry official, stated.

Though the preliminary research carried out by Health Ministry and State Veterinary Service showed that the reason was not Bird flu, the analysis will be sent to the special laboratory.

As to another girl deceased in this region in February, she died of oncology disease.

Now people even with inconsiderable suspicions of acute respiratory virus were taken to hospital. They are regularly examined. Six of them are at the Scientific-Research Institute of Lung Diseases, while two at Hospital 7 of Baku and one more – at the Central Hospital of Salyan. The health of the two patients is poor, while the next two are recovering.

The official of the Ministry noted there was a probability of Bird flu absence.

She explained that the difficulty in the soonest analysis of all diseased people including the dead girls is mostly linked to the laboratories in Cairo and London.

----------

March 5
14:09

Six family members suspected of Bird flu were hospitalized.

Previously two children died in this family. It should be noted that those people have lived in countryside (Salyan region) and contacted poultry.

According to initial diagnosis, acute form of pneumonia may be revealed. "But we don't exclude possibility of Bird flu and suspect died children to be infected,"- Deputy Health Minister Abbas Velibekov stated.

Blood patterns sent to London, the results of analysis are expected in the near future.