Djibouti Suffered Enough Already
Where there are no known cases of the H1N1 virus in Djibouti, the country suffered greatly a few years back during the outbreak of the H5N1 virus. The first patient was a two year old girl from a small rural village.
From the initial case of the H5N1 virus, the country was quickly taken over by symptoms of the bird flu. The country's health authorities initiated surveillance for human cases after the flu spread among the country's poultry. Constant surveillance was made more difficult because of the country's lack of resources and laboratory facilities.
Cases of the bird flu were also made more complicated by the seasonal dengue fever which can mask the symptoms of other illnesses, including the H5N1 virus.
The Worlds Health Organization helped in the responsiveness of Djibouti to its Bird Flu outbreak.
