Research reveals epidemiological characteristics of H5N1 avian influenza

  The Hongjie Hong-Jie research team of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention systematically collected data on human infections caused by H5N1 avian influenza in the past 18 years and human infections caused by H5N1 avian influenza worldwide from 1997 to 2015. The epidemiological characteristics and related risk factors of the Egyptian epidemic since November have been revealed for the first time since 2014.

  Since the first case of human highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 infection was discovered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997, the H10N1 avian influenza virus has spread globally in the past ten years, causing high human disease and mortality. As research speculates that the virus may evolve into a virus that causes human influenza pandemic through gene rearrangement or mutation, research has attracted worldwide attention.

  Yu Hongjie’s research team systematically collected data on 907 human cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza and their possible exposure factors, as well as H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza between May 1997 and April 2015. The human cases and their epidemiological characteristics have been systematically studied.

  According to the survey, the human avian influenza H5N1 epidemic mainly occurred in East Asia, Southeast Asia and North Africa, and gradually spread from East Asia to Southeast Asia, West Asia and Africa from 2003 to 2008. The global mortality rate of avian influenza H5N1 is 53.5%, but it varies from place to place. Globally, 67.2% of cases occurred between December and March of the following year, and most of the cases occurred in 2015. The median age of the cases is 19 years old, and 80% of the cases are under 35 years old, but the median death rate in Egypt is higher than in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In addition, it has been proved that humans infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus clade 1, 2.1 and 2.3 are more lethal than clade 0 and 2.2. From November 2014 to April 2015, the prevalence of human H5N1 avian influenza in Egypt has increased However, there are significant differences in patient mortality, poultry contact history, and time from onset to hospitalization.

  No relevant experts said that this research provides a scientific basis for the next step in the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs, as well as the research and prevention of epidemic drivers.