Date: Sat 4 Dec 2004
From: David Ozonoff <dozonoff@bu.edu>
Source: Effect Measure web-site, Sat 4 Dec 2004 [edited]
<http://effectmeasure.blogspot.com/>


France: Suspected Imported Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Case Not Confirmed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
French press sources in Alsace have just reported that the 69-year old male
who returned with respiratory difficulties after a 15 day vacation visit to
Viet Nam and Cambodia earlier in the week does not appear to have
contracted avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection [see: Avian influenza,
human - France (ex Viet Nam): susp. 20041202.3219].


Because of heightened concern over a possible pandemic from this virus, the
patient was isolated in an intensive care unit at the Central University
Hospital in Nancy, pending diagnostic tests. Blood and tissue samples were
sent to the Pasteur Institute in Paris where it was determined that avian
influenza A (H5N1) virus was not present. The cause of his current illness
is still not determined.

--
David Ozonoff, MD, MPH
Professor of Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Health
Boston University School of Public Health
715 Albany Street
Boston, MA 02118

EISS NEWS

On Thursday 2 December 2004 messages appeared on the internet that a 69-year-old man had been hospitalised in Nancy in north-eastern France with suspected bird flu.

Following a general request from EISS for more information, I. Bonmarin from the Institut de Veille Sanitaire [click here] in France informed EISS on Thursday 2 December that the 69-year-old man travelled in Cambodia (3 days) and Vietnam (10 days) and suffered from an acute respiratory distress syndrome on 1 December, the day after his arrival in France, and was hospitalised on the same day. The onset of the disease was on 29 November with abrupt fever and myalgia. No contact with animals was reported. The patient had travelled in Cambodia at this time with a group of 60 retired people. Nobody was sick in the group, except for two cases of diarrhoea.

S. van der Werf, A.M. Burguière and J-T Aubin from the National Reference Laboratory for Influenza (France North) based at the Pasteur Institute [click here] in Paris informed EISS on Friday 3 December that two respiratory specimens (one oro-pharyngeal swab and one broncho-alveolar wash) from this patient were tested for the presence of any influenza A virus and specifically for the influenza A virus subtype H5 by nucleic acid detection laboratory methods, and were both found to be negative. However, confirmatory analyses will be performed in week 50/2004.

Following the smuggling of influenza A(H5N1) infected eagles into Belgium and the possible infection of a man in October 2004 [click here], this is the second event in recent months where a human coming from Asia into Europe was suspected to be infected with the A(H5N1) influenza virus. These events demonstrate the ease by which this possible pandemic virus may spread from Asia around the world and highlight the importance of alert and active surveillance in Europe and the need for national and European pandemic preparedness plans [click here]. Luckily, this time again, alertness and preparedness through a highly sensitive surveillance system could rapidly exclude infection of humans by the influenza A(H5N1) virus in Europe. [AM & JP, updated 7 December 2004]