Egypt finds 12th human bird flu case

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt has found its 12th case of human
bird flu, Health and Population Minister Hatem el-Gabali said
in comments published late on Monday.

The latest case was an 18-year-old woman from a province
north of Cairo who caught the virus after handling infected
birds, the state MENA news agency quoted Gabali and ministry
officials saying.

The ministry said the woman was in a stable condition and
members of her family were being tested for infection.

“She is being given Tamiflu, the necessary treatment for
battling bird flu,” a ministry official said, referring to the
anti-viral medication thought to be the best method of fighting
bird flu in humans.

The deadly H5N1 strain has so far killed three people in
Egypt, according to the government. A further five have made
full recoveries and four remain in hospital.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which carries out
additional tests after initial government testing, has
confirmed four of Egypt’s total cases including two of the
deaths.

The disease, which has killed at least 109 people
worldwide, has spread rapidly since 2003 from Asia to Europe,
the Middle East and Africa. While mainly affecting animals,
scientists fear the disease could mutate into a form that can
pass between humans, sparking a pandemic.

Bird flu was detected in birds in Egypt in February and the
first human infection was reported in mid-March. The WHO has
said it is concerned about the disease’s human toll in a
relatively short period of time.

Women, who make up all three of Egypt’s fatalities, are
often responsible for slaughtering and cooking domestic
poultry, and the government has called for more awareness about
bird flu among women to protect themselves and their families.