Local tests confirm H5N1 human death in Cambodia
On Friday (March 24), Cambodia’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s fifth human case of the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus. in a 3-year-old girl from Kampong Speu Province, west of Phnom Penh in the southern part of the country.  The child developed fever on Tuesday, March 14 and died on Tuesday, March 21.  Samples from the girl tested positive for H5N1 infection at the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia.  According to a joint team of officials from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), backyard poultry in the area where the child lived began dying in February, and chicken deaths have continued. Initial reports indicate that the child contracted the virus from playing with infected chickens.  The Ministry of Agriculture has taken samples from chickens in the area.  In addition the team has placed seven resident under medical observation.  These residents had either had contact with infected birds or had cared for the sick child. The investigation found seven residents with fever but no respiratory symptoms. All had a history of recent contact with diseased birds or had been involved in caring for the child. Samples have been taken from these people and other close contacts of the child. Test results are expected next week.  This is the fifth confirmed human H5N1 case in Cambodia. The four previous cases, were all reported in neighboring Kampot Province which borders Viet Nam.  All of the human cases in Cambodia have been fatal and occurred between late January 2005 through mid-April 2005.
Source:
· Cambodia confirms bird flu death, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Birdfluscare&slug=Cambodia+confirms+bird+flu+death&id=86115&callid=1
· Seven Cambodia villagers tested for bird flu after death of child, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/March/theworld_March703.xml&section=theworld&col=
· Avian influenza – situation in Cambodia, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_03_24/en/index.html

China reports a new human H5N1 bird flu death in Shanghai and agrees to turn over bird flu samples to WHO
On Friday (March 24), China’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s 16th human case of the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus in a 29-year-old female migrant worker in Shanghai.  The woman was hospitalized on  March 15 and died on March 21. This is the first human case reported in Shanghai and no poultry outbreaks have been reported in the Shanghai area since February 2004.  Chinese authorities report that the cause of infection is under investigation and close contacts of the woman have been placed under medical observation.  On Wednesday (March 22), China agreed to turn over bird flu samples from poultry to the World Health Organization.  According to Dr. Julie Hall, an official from the WHO office in Beijing, WHO expects to receive about 20 virus samples from China within a few weeks.  The samples will go to a WHO-affiliated lab in either Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or Britain.  Since 2004, China's Agriculture Ministry has refused to release samples of bird flu outbreak in poultry to foreign scientists, despite criticism from international experts who say such samples are needed to develop diagnostic tools and vaccines. However China's Health Ministry has regularly provided samples from human cases of bird flu.  According to Dr. Hall, under the terms of the agreement, any work done with China's viruses will have to credit the lab that supplied the samples, and WHO has promised to help China negotiate the terms of any commercial gain from them.  To date, China has reported 16 cases of H5N1 infection, of which 11 have been fatal.
Source:
· China Turns Over Bird Flu Samples to WHO, Mar 22, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032201220.html
· China Reduces Possibilities of Bird Flu Outbreak, Mar 19, 2006, http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/811/2006/03/19/421@64021.htm
· Bird Flu May Have Killed Woman in Shanghai in City's First Case, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aFep8RtogSok&refer=asia

Measles outbreak in Fiji reaches 35, vaccination campaign ongoing
The number of measles cases in Fiji has risen to 35.  The these cases 28 were recorded in the Western Division; six cases were reported in the Central Division; and one in the North.  Fiji’s Ministry of Health chief executive Dr Lepani Waqatakirewa said the measles outbreak was alarming.  The ministry's measles vaccination campaign has started in the Western Division and will begin in the other divisions on April 3.  According to the Director of Public Health Services, Doctor Timaima Tuiketei, teams will go to rural areas and outer islands so that all children are vaccinated.  Meanwhile, West community health general manager, Doctor Tharid Ali, reported that about 80 per cent of the children in the West had been immunised. 
Source:
· Measles cases stand at 35, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=120601

Malegaon hit by viral fever outbreak
In western Maharashtra state’s Malegaon district, more than 68 people have been admitted to local hospitals for treatment of viral fever.  Meanwhile, at least 500 people are receiving treatment at home. Blood samples have been sent for further testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.  The reports are expected to come out on Saturday. Meanwhile civic authorities say the viral outbreak was likely cause by drainage overflow due to heavy rains.
Source:
· Malegaon hit by viral fever outbreak, Mar 17, 2006, http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Malegaon+hit+by+viral+fever+outbreak&id=85875

HFMD daily cases start to decrease after some 5,600 cases reported in Sarawak
On Monday (March 20), Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister and Disaster and Relief Management Committee Chairman, Tan Sri Dr George Chan, reported the Sarawak Health Department is sending surveillance medical teams to schools and villages in response to the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak which began last month.  According to Dr Chan, some 5,634 HFMD cases have been reported since the outbreak began, and the number of new cases reported daily is on a downward trend. The death toll from the HFMD outbreak has risen to eight, including two cases confirmed to be Enterovirus 71 (EV71) positive, while cases have been recorded in the state's interior, as well as the smaller towns of Mukah, on the central coast, and Kapit in central Sarawak, Chan said. The majority of cases have so far been recorded in Sarawak's main towns, including its capital Kuching.  Sarawak has been hit periodically by the disease. HFMD is a viral infection common in children and results in fever, mouth sores and a blistering rash, usually on the hands and feet. It is unrelated to foot-and-mouth disease, which is a disease of cattle, sheep and swine. Children are most susceptible to HFMD, but adults can also be affected.  While Enterovirus 71 (EV71) was confirmed in two cases, most cases are caused by a different virus which is much milder and not fatal.
Source:
· HFMD Outbreak Shows Downward Trend, Mar 20, 2006, http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=186856&cat=sre
· Hand, foot-and mouth epidemic spreading in Malaysia's Sarawak, Mar 17, 2006, http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060317/hl_afp/malaysiahealthdisease_060317155943

New bird flu outbreaks in poultry lead Malaysia to test samples across the country
On Tuesday (March 21), Malaysian officials reported the latest bird flu cases were detected in Kampung Changkat Legong near Gopeng in Perak state, at the Titi Gantung Agriculture Training Institute in Bota, and at Taman Lapangan Perdana in Ipoh.  On Monday (March 20), an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus was also reported in six dead birds in the village of Permatang Bagak, in northern Penang state, Malaysia.  In response, all states have been ordered to conduct comprehensive sampling of birds nationwide, following the discovery of three new bird flu cases in Perak state.  Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that migratory birds were the likely cause of avian flu infection in Malaysia.  The H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus was first found in samples from a free-range chicken in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur on February 20.
Source:
· Sampling widens to all states, Mar 22, 2006, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/22/nation/13734736&sec=nation
· Three birds found with H5N1 virus in Perak, Mar 23, 2006, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/22/nation/13733729&sec=nation
· Bird Flu Timeline, Mar 22, 2006, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/22/nation/13738206&sec=nation
· Malaysia reports new bird flu outbreak, Mar 21, 2006, http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Birdfluscare&slug=Malaysia+reports+new+bird+flu+outbreak&id=86009&callid=1
· Farmer may have had bird flu, Mar 17, 2006, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/17/nation/13695656&sec=nation

Singapore on watch for increase in hand, foot and mouth disease
Singapore has recorded as many as 2,180 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) since the beginning of this year.  According to the Health Ministry, the weekly average number of reported cases has increased from 113 in January, to 174 in February and 372 in March, data from the health ministry showed. The Straits Times newspaper reported that a childcare center, which had about 20 cases of HFMD infection in the last 19 days, shut temporarily to prevent transmission.  According to Channel NewsAsia reports on Sunday (March 19) night, about 75 percent of the more than 2,000 cases reported this year have tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a dangerous virus which can cause complications involving human being's heart and brain, and result in death.
Source:
· Singapore on alert for hand,foot and mouth disease, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SIN344201.htm
· HFMD disease cases increase sharply in Singapore, Mar 19, 2006, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/19/content_4320159.htm

More than 150 people fall ill from botulism outbreak in northern Thailand
The World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of a botulism outbreak in northern Nan province in Thailand.  On Thursday (March 23), Thailand transported 17 people infected by severe botulism to Bangkok, while dozens more were being treated in rural hospitals.  The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) reported that 152 of the 170 people attending a local festival in Banluang District, Nan Province, had developed symptoms botulism.  Thai health officials believe the Nan botulism outbreak was caused by improper canning of bamboo shoots because all of the affected people ate pickled bamboo shoots at the festival and developed symptoms with 24-48 hours.  Of the 152 exhibiting symptoms, 100 were hospitalized, with 40 requiring intubation and respirator support.  To date, no deaths have been reported.  In response, US military biological weapons experts and the World Health Organization disease specialists flew to Nan, to investigate the outbreak.  While the antitoxin for the treatment of botulism is only available in some countries, WHO and collaborating nations were able to deliver antitoxin to Thailand on Sunday (March 19).  Botulism is a disease caused by toxins produced by several members of a group of bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum.
Source:
· Thailand battles major outbreak of botulism, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK273222.htm
· Specialists on full alert following outbreak of serious disease in Thailand, Mar 21, 2006, http://english.people.com.cn/200603/21/eng20060321_252209.html
· Botulism in Thailand, Mar 22, 2006, http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_12_22/en/index.html
· Nan botulism victims airlifted to Bangkok hospital, Mar 24, 2006, http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=7603

H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Kabul and Nangahar province, with H5 found in Laghman, Wardak, and Kunar
Afghanistan announced that it will begin culling chickens in affected areas on Wednesday (March 22), after the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus had been confirmed in Kabul and Nangarhar province.  Azizullah Osmani, Chief of the Agriculture Ministry’s Veterinary Department, reported that the H5 bird flu had also been found in dead birds in Laghman province, east of Kabul; Wardak, west of Kabul; and in Kunar province.  Osmani said further tests would determine if these cases were the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus.
Source:
· Afghanistan confirms bird flu, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Birdfluscare&slug=Afghanistan+confirms+bird+flu&id=86079&callid=1

Albania reports second H5N1 bird flu case in poultry
On Thursday (March 23) Albania’s Agriculture Ministry reported tests at a British laboratory at Weybridge confirmed that the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus was found in four dead chickens in the Peze Helmes area, located 6 miles (10 km) west of the capital Tirana.  Rexhep Shahu, Agriculture Ministry spokesman said teams would cull 600 chickens and disinfect coops in the area.  Shahu also said, "Tests have found no sign of the virus in people.”  The first case of the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus was confirmed in a chicken in the southern Saranda region of Albania three weeks ago.  
Source:
· Albania finds second H5N1 bird flu case in poultry, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23699643.htm

WHO confirms five human H5N1 bird flu death in Azerbaijan
According to results released Tuesday (March 21), a total of five human deaths from the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus in Azerbaijan occurred and wasconfirmed by a World Health Organization (WHO)-collaborating laboratory.  Two other Azerbaijanis became ill from exposure to the virus but recovered. The deaths occurred between February 23 and March 10. WHO epidemiologists are looking into the possibility that the victims fell ill after plucking dead wild swans, a common practice in the region. The feathers are used in pillows.  Four of the victims were from the village of Daikend in the Salyan region of southern Azerbaijan. The fifth victim was a 21-year-old woman, who died on March 9 in the western administrative district of Tarter, according to the WHO release. 
Source:
· Experts seek to contain Azeri bird flu outbreak, Mar 22, 2006, http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-22T183131Z_01_N12232814_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU.xml&archived=False
· 5 deaths in Azerbaijan push global bird flu toll to 103, Mar 21, 2006, http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/03/21/bird-flu-toll060321.html

Egypt reports 4th suspected case of human bird flu
On Tuesday (March 21) Egypt reported a fourth suspected case deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus in a 17-year-old boy in Gharbia province northwest of Cairo.  Over the weekend, the father’s farm had an outbreak of the bird flu virus on his chicken farm causing the death of 2,825, while the surviving chickens were culled.  On Monday (March 20), Egypt’s Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali reported a third suspected human bird flu case in a 30-year-old woman from Qaloubiyah province, 25 miles (40 km) north of Cairo, where two other cases had been reported in the last three days from separate villages in the same province.  The tests were conducted at the US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-3), in Cairo, and samples are being sent to a World Health Organization (WHO)-collaborating laboratory. Since Egypt’s first outbreak was reported on February 17, the bird flu virus has been reported in 18 of Egypt’s 26 governorates. According to Gabali, of the first three human bird flu cases, one died, one recovered and the third is receiving treatment.
Source:
· Egypt reports 4th suspected case of human bird flu, Mar 21, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2155220.htm
· Egypt Reports First Bird-Flu Fatality; Congo Suspects Outbreak, Mar 19, 2006, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a8Rlsr8OolAc&refer=top_world_news

Officials confirm new bird flu outbreaks in Israel and Palestinian territory
On Thursday (March 23), Israel’s Agriculture Ministry reported preliminary results showed that dead birds found in a poultry coop in Moshav Bekaot in the Jordan Valley tested positive for the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus.  The area was quarantined Wednesday (March 22), and culling the flocks in the four poultry coops in the community began on Thursday (March 23).  According to Shimon Pokomonsky, a senior veterinarian at the Agriculture Ministry, to date, there have been infections reported in six flocks in four locations. On Wednesday (March 22), Israel said it would help the Palestinian Authority combat a bird flu outbreak after preliminary tests conducted in dead chickens found in coops on the former settlement of Netzarim in central Gaza Strip found the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus.  Israel has culled some 400,000 infected turkeys and chickens since discovering the bird flu virus in southern Israel last week.
Source:
· Officials confirm avian flu killed birds in Jordan Valley coop, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/697454.html
· Officials: Bird flu virus likely to have come in from Egypt, Mar 20, 2006, http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/695120.html

Jordan announces first bird flu outbreak
On Friday (March 24), Jordan’s Health Minister Said Darwazeh announced that preliminary tests found the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in at least three dead turkeys at a domestic farm in Ajoun District, located near the Israeli Jordan Valley region, where avian flu was discovered Thursday (March 24).  In response, Darwazeh reported that the Health Ministry and Agriculture Ministry will coordinate to begin a process of systematic flock culling. 
Source:
· Jordan announces bird flu outbreak, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395667346&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
· Deadly bird flu spreads to Jordan, no human cases, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24565391.htm

KAZAKHSTAN: H5N1 bird flu detected in wild birds in west
On Monday (March 20), Kazakh Health Minister Yerbolat Dosayev, confirmed the first case this year of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in a wild bird in western Mangistau province, along the Caspian shore.  It is the first case to be registered in Kazakhstan this year since thousands of poultry were culled when bird flu hit the country last August. To date, there have been no human cases reported in Kazakhstan. Asylbek Kozhimuratov, head of the Kazakh agriculture ministry, said that all domestic poultry had been vaccinated in Mangistau province. Vaccination is under way in another western province, Atyrau, which is also believed to be vulnerable to the virus. In February, Kazakhstan began vaccinating around 8 million domestic fowl, in a move to prevent bird flu outbreaks, .
Source:
· KAZAKHSTAN: Avian flu detected in wild birds in west, Mar 23, 2006, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/4d9d3901d5d4282ff791ad99c5bd89f6.htm
· Kazakh minister confirms bird flu outbreak, Mar 21, 2006, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/21/content_4326540.htm

Dengue fever hits east Madagascar island, dozens hospitalized
A dengue outbreak has been reported on the eastern island of Sainte-Marie island of Madagascar.  On Monday (March 20), local health officials reported dozens of people being hospitalized each day.  According to the Madagascar’s Health Ministry, a four-member medical team had been sent to the island to investigate the outbreak.  The island’s medical resources have been taxed by the outbreak, with reportedly only seven medics to serve a population of 20,700 inhabitants.
Source:
· Dengue fever hits east Madagascar island, dozens hospitalized, Mar 13, 2006, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/14/content_4301628.htm

Measles outbreak kills four in southern Sindh province Pakistan
According to data from the nongovernmental organization (NGO), Sindh Integrated Network for Development Programme (SINDP) more than 200 children have fallen ill with measles in Jamshoro district, of Pakistan’s Sindh province with 4 deaths reported in Sann and Manjhand.  Despite SINDP’s report, Jamshoro health department authorities said they are unaware of the measles outbreak.
Source:
· Measles outbreak kills four in Jamshoro district, Mar 24, 2006, http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2006-daily/24-03/2006/natioanl/n9.htm

First two cases of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Pakistan
On Tuesday (March 21), Pakistan reported tests from a British laboratory confirmed the nation’s first two cases of the deadly H5N1 subtype of bird flu virus in chickens from farms in Charsadda and Abbottabad in the country's North West Frontier Province.  The samples containing H5N1 bird flu virus were taken from chickens at two farms late last month.  According to Mohammad Afzal, spokesman for the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, some 25,000 poultry from the affected farms have been culled, no additional outbreaks have been reported and no human cases were detected. 
Source:
· First two cases of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Pakistan, Mar 21, 2006, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/21/content_4327143.htm

Bird flu kills 30,000 birds in southern Russia in one day
On Saturday (March 18), Russian officials reported a third major outbreak of the deadly H5N1 subtype of the bird flu virus, when 30,000 birds died in a 24-hour period in southern Russia.  On Thursday (March 16), it was reported that over the course of one day, almost 22,000 birds died in the Krasnodar region and 8,000 died in Daghestan.  To date, more than 350,000 birds have died of disease or been culled in Krasnodar and 760,000 in Daghestan. No human deaths from the H5N1 strain have been reported in Russia.
Source:
· 30,000 birds die of flu in Russia in day, Mar 18, 2006, http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060318-105801-1888r