The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed 2 more cases of human infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. One of the cases (the country's 57^th case) was a 17-year-old male from a remote village in Garut district, West Java Province. He developed symptoms on 26 July and was referred to hospital on 9 August. This patient was recovering. He reportedly had direct contact with diseased chickens. The other case (the country's 58^th case) occurred in a 9-year-old girl from the same village, but from a different hamlet. She developed symptoms on 1 August and died on 15 August. Chicken deaths were reported in her household.

Investigation of the cases revealed a suspected case of human infection of Avian Influenza, who was the 20-year-old cousin of the 57^th case living in a neighbouring household where chickens were also dying. This man developed symptoms on 26 July and sought care at the local health centre on 5 August. He died of respiratory disease on 6 August, but no samples had been taken for testing. The cause of his illness and death remained undetermined. Based on epidemiological and clinical findings, however, infection with the H5N1 virus was strongly suspected.

Another suspected case of human infection of Avian Influenza has been reported in the same village. A 35-year-old woman died on 17 August was tested positive for Avian Influenza by local tests, pending confirmation by the World Health Organization.

Of the 58 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 45 have been fatal.

The Ministry of Health on the Mainland has confirmed the country’s 21st case of human infection with the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. The case occurred in a 62-year-old male farmer from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He developed symptoms on 19 June and died on 12 July. An epidemiological investigation of the case was unable to uncover a history of exposure to dead or diseased birds. No recent poultry outbreaks or human case have been reported in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that H5N1 Avian Influenza virus was isolated from the specimens collected from the ducklings found dead in a farm in Changsh of Hunan province. More than 210 000 ducks in the farm had been culled.

Two new outbreaks of Avian Influenza have been detected in Cambodia. The outbreaks were reported among ducks in Tbong Khmum and Batheay districts of Kampong Cham province.

According to the Ministry of Health of Sudan, the cumulative number of acute watery diarrhoea cases for all northern Sudan since April 2006 was 5 953, with 196 fatalities. More than 700 cases of acute watery diarrhoea have been reported in South Darfur alone and about 40 percent of the collected stool specimens tested positive for Cholera. Besides Darfur, a high number of cases had also been reported in Khartoum State and Northern Kordofan.

The number of deaths from acute watery diarrhoea in the Oromiya and the Southern Nations and Nationalities regions of Ethiopia has increased. The disease had claimed the lives of 89 people and affected 9 270 in the regions since Jun 2006. Highest number of cases was reported in Shashamene and Arsi Negele districts.

An outbreak of meningitis has affected 374 people in Kosovo province of Serbia since July 2006. Local official said that contaminated drinking water from village wells was the most likely cause for the meningitis outbreak.

[Editor's note: This outbreak is presumed to be an outbreak of aseptic (viral) meningitis since about 60 percent of Kosovo's population do not have access to a main water supply. A variety of enteroviruses have been associated with outbreaks of aseptic meningitis, usually in association with faecal contamination of sources of drinking water.]

The Hong Kong Department of Health has confirmed an imported case of Dengue Fever. The case was a 28-year-old female who developed fever and headache since 10 August. She was hospitalised on 14 August and in stable condition. She had travelled to Malaysia and Indonesia before onset of symptoms.

As on 14 August, 186 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been reported in Shaanxi province of the Mainland, among whom 7 people have died. This represented a 27% increment in case number when comparing with that of the same period in 2005. Among all cases reported, 82% were farmers and children.