CAIRO: Bird flu has claimed another victim in Egypt. A 15-year-old girl died of the infection Monday, the country's health ministry confirmed, bringing the total number of deaths due to the H5N1 virus in the country so far to nine.
According to a ministry statement, the girl had been admitted to a hospital on 20 December after proper diagnosis. She was immediately put on support systems and was administered Tamiflu drug. But, she died Monday.
Earlier, on Sunday a 30-year-old woman, died after being affected by the virus. A WHO report said the 15-year-old girl was from the woman's family, residing in the Egyptian Delta governorate of Gharbiya, 90 kilometers from Cairo. Another person from the family, a 26-year-old male, is now undergoing treatment in hospital.
The family had been found to have handled fowl. These as also poultry in the neighboring areas have since been culled and people who have come in contact with the birds are being tested for the virus.
Egypt has so far reported 18 human bird flu cases. The infection was first noticed among poultry birds in February 2006.
A government minister said the infection is now under control and vaccination campaigns have started to cover all the poultry populations throughout the country.
According to WHO statistics, the H5N1 strain is known to have infected 258 people in 10 countries during the past three years, killing 154 of those infected.
Egypt has banned keeping poultry in backyards of urban residences. However, this ban is not applicable in rural areas.
