Your Egypt

[kamar]

A 15-year-old girl in Egypt has died of bird flu after testing positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus.

The girl, whose identity was not disclosed, died in a Cairo hospital, Egyptian news agency Mena reported.

She is the ninth person to die of bird flu in Egypt - a major route for migratory birds and one of the states worst hit by the virus outside Asia.

On Sunday a 30-year-old died after she and a brother and sister, aged 26 and 15, also fell ill.

The trio lived with 30 other family members, raising poultry in a town north of the capital, Cairo.

Family farm

The extended family share one house in the town of Zifta in Gharbiya province, about 80km (50 miles) north of Cairo.

A World Health Organization (WHO) official said the family raised ducks, and the brother and sister had become infected after slaughtering the flock in an effort to stem the spread of the H5N1 virus.

Three of the family's ducks had died of the virus, WHO confirmed.

Government officials had hoped an initial outbreak of H5N1 among poultry in February had been contained and would not further affect the country's food supply.

In the Middle East, the disease is also known to be present in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6207797.stm

[kamar]

Egypt teenager dies of bird flu

A 17-year-old Egyptian girl has died from bird flu, bringing to 12 the number of confirmed deaths from the disease in the country.

Nouri Nadi, from Fayyoum, was admitted to hospital a week ago after being initially diagnosed with human flu.

It is believed that she became infected with avian influenza after coming into contact with sick and infected birds.

The latest death brings the number of known infections in Egypt to 20, the largest human cluster beyond Asia.

Of the 12 people who have died from the illness in Egypt, 11 have been women.

Women and girls are often responsible for looking after poultry in Egypt.

The virus has been detected in at least 19 of the country's 26 provinces.

Mutation

Officials said it was too early to know if the latest victim had been infected with a mutated strain of the virus.

Several weeks ago, the World Health Organization announced that two of those who had died had been infected with a strain of the virus that was showed moderate resistance to the antiviral drug, Tamiflu.

More than 80 people have died of H5N1 bird flu since the disease's resurgence in December 2003 - most of them in South-East Asia.

Experts point out that cross-infection to humans is still relatively rare and usually occurs where people have been in close contact with infected birds.

But they say if the H5N1 strain mutates so it can be passed between humans, it could become a global pandemic, killing millions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6334075.stm

[kamar]

Maybe is better don't go in Fayoum :?