H5N1 avian influenza in humans: By the numbers

With just two weeks left in 2013 and the release of the latest global statistics of avian influenza and affected areas yesterday, I thought we could look at human H5N1 bird flu by the numbers.

Clearly, what stands out concerning human infections of H5N1 avian influenza (AI) this year is Cambodia.

The Southeast Asian Kingdom recorded 26 cases of human H5N1 AI in 2013. Since the virus was first confirmed in a human in Cambodia in 2005 to 2012, the total cases amounted to 21.

55 percent of all human H5N1 AI in Cambodia occurred in 2013. Of the 26 confirmed cases, 14 resulted in death (54%).

In fact, more than 68 percent of all human H5N1 AI cases recorded in 2013 were from Cambodia. The rest of the world confirmed 12 cases.

The other countries reporting the virus in humans this year include Bangladesh (1), China (2), Egypt (4), Indonesia (3) and Vietnam had 2.

Indonesia, the country who has the most confirmed human cases (195) and deaths (163) since data was tracked in 2003, has been on a steady downturn in cases in the past several years.

Indonesia maintains the highest case-fatality rate with more than 83 percent of those infected end up dead.

Still, the archipelago accounts for three out of 10 cases since 2003 and 42 percent of fatalities.

Five countries, Turkey, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Djibouti, have not recorded a confirmed case since 2006.

The total number of cases confirmed and reported to the World Health Organization since 2003 is 648 and 384 fatalities (59% CFR).

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H5N1 avian influenza
Image/CDC