Egypt reports new human case of bird flu

CAIRO: The Egyptian Health Ministry on Wednesday said that it had detected a new case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first since May, the official news agency MENA reported.

Hanan Abul Magd, 39, from the northern delta province of Gharbiya was tested positive for bird flu after suffering from high fever and shortness of breath.

Her case brings to 15 the total number of human bird flu cases since the virus was first detected in February in Egypt. Six cases turned out to be fatal and eight people recovered after being treated with Tamiflu.

Health officials and experts say the rate of contamination from diseased birds to humans is high in Egypt, where people often come in contact with the fowls and their droppings.

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, is on a major route for migratory birds and is the hardest-hit non-Asian country since the bird flu epidemic broke out in 2003.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu, its most aggressive form, has killed more than 148 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.