New death from H5N1 bird flu in Assiut – health ministry

Wednesday 14-01-2015 01:24 PM
New death from H5N1 bird flu in Assiut – health ministry

A woman in Menoufia, Egypt, bringing a chicken for a vaccination in 2008 - Amr Dalsh/Reuters

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CAIRO, Jan 14 (Aswat Masriya) - A 65 year-old woman from Assiut governorate died in hospital after being diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu virus, the health ministry announced on Wednesday.

Her death brings the death toll to at least two of 12 confirmed cases of H5N1 virus in 2015, according to a statement from the health ministry.

A three year-old child died of the H5N1 virus on January 5 in Giza.

A health ministry official reported on January 2 the death of a 45 year-old man diagnosed with the virus in Menufia.

At least twelve people have contracted the virus this year; two cases have died, seven remain under treatment, and three have recovered, the health ministry said.

Cases of H5N1 have been largely concentrated in rural areas in Egypt, where proximity and interaction with poultry increases.

The World Health Organisation warned that there is a risk of human infection when the virus is circulating in poultry, especially to those in infected environments.

The death toll from the virus reached 11 in 2014 in Egypt.

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