Bangladesh might be affected if timely measures not taken

A recent population-based study by ICDDRB said if appropriate measures are not taken in time, Bangladesh could be affected by the new strain of influenza A virus H5N1 commonly known as 'bird flu'.

It said two strains of influenza A virus, H3N2 and H1N1, have already been circulating among the children in the country which made the probability high of breaking out 'bird flu'.

According to the ICDDRB study, the two strains of influenza A virus and two of influenza B virus that are circulating in Asia are also circulating within Bangladesh.

Between April 2004 and November 2005, ICDDRB conducted a surveillance on 44, 256 children under five at Kamlapur area in the city. Of them, 5129 children were found affected by acute infectious respiratory illness.

The study shows that 14 percent of Bangladeshi children with acute infectious respiratory illness had influenza virus and the incidence of influenza virus infection was 84.5 episodes among every 1000 children a year.

A 58 percent of isolates were influenza A (H3N2 and H1N1) and 42 percent influenza B (Shanghai and Hongkong) virus, the ICDDRB surveillance shows.

This suggests that if H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza A, commonly known as bird flu, circulates among poultry in Bangladesh, there is an opportunity of human co-infection with human and avian influenza strains, the study said.

Other strains of influenza may also be causing human disease in the country.

Since 1996, influenza A (H5N1) has been identified in domestic poultry.