Research reveals epidemiological characteristics of H5N1 avian influenza

  The research team of Hongjie Yu of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention systematically collected data on cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza worldwide for 18 years, presenting the epidemiological characteristics of global human infection with H5N1 avian influenza from 1997 to 2015 for the first time, and clarified that since 2014 Epidemiological characteristics and related risk factors of the rising epidemic in Egypt since November.

   Since the first case of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the world was discovered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread globally in the past 10 years, causing human illnesses and has a high mortality rate. Studies have speculated that the virus can evolve into a virus that causes a human influenza pandemic through gene reassortment or mutation, so it has become the focus of global attention. Hongjie Yu’s research team systematically compiled data on 907 human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection and their possible exposure factors from May 1997 to April 2015, and focused on global human infections of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza cases and their epidemics Systematic research has been carried out on academic characteristics.

  Research found that 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 human avian influenza H5N1 total case fatality rate is 53.5%, but it varies from region to region. Globally, 67.2% of the cases occurred between December and March of the following year, and the most cases were reported in 2015. The median age of the cases is 19 years, and 80% of the cases are under 35 years old, but the median age of deaths in Egypt is higher than that of deaths in East Asia and Southeast Asia.

  The study also showed that the case fatality rate of humans infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus clade 1, 2.1 and 2.3 is higher than that of clade 0 and 2.2. Although the human avian influenza H5N1 epidemic situation in Egypt increased from November 2014 to April 2015, there were no significant differences in patient fatality rate, poultry exposure history, time from onset to hospitalization, etc. compared with before.

  Related experts said that the research provides scientific evidence for the next step in the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs, and the research and prevention and control of the driving factors of the epidemic.