Saturday, March 08, 2008

Egypt Reports 47th Bird Flu Case

 

# 1764

 

 

 

A quiet Saturday morning interrupted by news of an 8-year-old boy, Abdel Hamid al-Sayyed Yussuf from Fayoum, who has been diagnosed as having the H5N1 virus. 

 

Yussuf joins at least 2 other children currently hospitalized in Egypt with the virus.  An 11-year-old male from Menof District is reportedly in critical condition, and a 4-year-old girl from the El-Edwa district, who at last report was in stable condition.

 

Earlier this week a 25-year-old woman, also from the Fayoum Governorate, died from the virus.

 

 

 

 

Egyptian boy diagnosed with bird flu


Posted: 08 March 2008 2355 hrs

 

 

CAIRO - An eight-year old boy has contracted the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the health ministry announced on Saturday.

 


Abdel Hamid al-Sayyed Yussuf from Fayoum, south of Cairo, was admitted to a local hospital after coming into contact with infected poultry, spokesman Abdul Rahman Shaheen told the official MENA news agency.

 

Yussuf had been complaining of high fever and shortness of breath, Shaheen said, adding that the boy was transferred to a Cairo hospital on Saturday.

 


He became the 47th case of the virus reported in Egypt since the first outbreak was announced in February 2006.

 

A total of 20 people have died in Egypt from the virulent strain.


Women and children have borne the brunt of the virus due to their role in taking care of domestic fowl in Egypt.