Cablegate: Grim Bird Flu Milestone: Egypt's 50th Case

VZCZCXRO5953
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHEG #0844 1141556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231556Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9043
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 000844

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA (NAFZIGER)
STATE ALSO FOR AIAG (WINN)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU TBIO ECON PGOV EG
SUBJECT: GRIM BIRD FLU MILESTONE: EGYPT'S 50TH CASE

REF: A. A. CAIRO 784
B. B. CAIRO 413

Sensitive But Unclassified. Please handle accordingly.

1. (SBU) On April 16, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and
Population (MOHP) confirmed its seventh human avian influenza
(AI) case this year: a 2-year-old boy from the Sharqia
Governorate north of Cairo. This marks Egypt's 50th
confirmed AI case overall, and the third in the month of
April. The child was hospitalized the day after he fell ill.
The treating physicians administered Tamiflu to him
immediately, and he, unlike the last two AI victims, is
expected to recover (ref A).

2. (SBU) A notable spike in AI cases occurred earlier this
year when the virus struck four Egyptians over a course of
ten days in late February and early March (refs A and B).

SCOBEY

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