© European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, 2014

Public health issue This document aims to: • summarise the epidemiological, virological and environmental information about human infections with avian influenza A viruses of subtype A(H5N1) in Egypt; • assess potential changes in the risk to public health in the EU/EEA and to EU/EEA citizens. Main conclusions and recommendations • Influenza A(H5N1) has been circulating in domestic poultry in Egypt since its introduction in 2006 and has been the source of sporadic human infections. • The number of cases reported in Egypt is higher than compared to last year, although in the same range as in 2012, but the number of laboratory-confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection reported in November by Egypt is the highest ever reported for that month. • The locations of the reported cases of A(H5N1) in humans match the locations of outbreaks in backyard poultry and, in addition, the reported human cases had direct exposure to infected poultry. • As the affected regions are non-touristic areas, the risk for EU citizens is considered extremely low. • The increase in the number of human cases reported in Egypt in 2014 does not change the current risk status of this epidemic. RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, Egyp