# 386
Well, after 28 days, the results are in.
Dead Nigerian woman tests positive for bird flu
Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:25 PM GMT
LAGOS (Reuters) - A Nigerian woman who died of flu symptoms has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, Information Minister Frank Nweke said on Wednesday, the first reported death from the virus in the West African country.
The woman from Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos is the first confirmed human victim of bird flu in sub-Saharan Africa, after the deadly disease was first found in poultry in Nigeria a year ago.
"Last night our team of 13 scientists were able to conclusively identify the case of avian influenza in a 22-year-old female who died in Lagos," Nweke told a news conference.
The woman was one of 14 people, three of whom died, from whom samples were taken for tests that were concluded on Tuesday. Samples are now being sent to foreign laboratories for confirmation.
Given the vehement denials, followed by backtracking, you could pretty much see this one coming. What we don't know is, if this patient is the first of the cases to die, back on January 4th, and whether any of the other cases tested positive.
Obviously, there will be more to come on this story in the coming days.
UPDATE FROM REUTERS 09:00 EDT
Four suspected bird flu deaths in Nigeria, official says
Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:44 PM GMT
LAGOS (Reuters) - Four Nigerians are suspected to have died from H5N1 bird flu, but tests on three of the victims were inconclusive and the virus was confirmed scientifically in only one case, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
Abdulsalam Nasidi, a bird flu expert at the health ministry, said the three inconclusive cases were the mother of the confirmed case in Lagos, a poultry worker in northeastern Taraba state and one person in far northeastern Borno state.
