Global Epidemiology of Avian Influenza A H5N1 Virus Infection in Humans 1997-2015 A Systematic Review of Individual Case Data

This study examined 907 human cases of avian influenza A H5N1 from May 1997 to April 2015 to describe changes in global epidemiology. The authors describe an expansion in the number of affected countries from east and southeast Asia west through Asia to Africa. The authors noted a recent increase in cases in Egypt but found no significant differences in comparison to earlier cases in epidemiological factors such as fatality risk, history of patient contact or exposure to poultry, and time from illness onset to hospital admission.