# 462
Details are very scarce at this time. A brief announcement only.
Egyptian 5-year-old contracts bird flu - ministry
Fri 16 Feb 2007 13:51:14 GMT
CAIRO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A 5-year-old Egyptian boy has tested positive for the deadly bird flu virus, bringing the number of cases in Egypt to 22, the health ministry said in a statement.
Officials from the World Health Organisation were not immediately available to confirm the case.
The level of concern in Egypt over the past few weeks and months has been rising, and given the number of deaths attributed to the virus, and the ineffectiveness of treatments, it is understandable.
The fact that Egypt, with better surveillance and medical care, is reporting human cases, and countries like Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, with almost no surveillance are not, is worrisome.
