# 2871
As happens sometimes, local media apparently jumped the gun and printed that two suspected bird flu cases being tested in Cairo had tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
According to Egypt's Chief of Health Affairs Department in Cairo, the two suspect cases tested negative.
Egypt tests more than a thousand people every year for the virus, since it is endemic in their poultry, and has to date only uncovered 57 confirmed cases.
This from KUNA (The Kuwaiti News Agency)
Egyptian official denies two bird flu cases in Cairo
Health 3/6/2009 7:02:00 PM
CAIRO, March 6 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Chief of Health Affairs department in Cairo Dr. Naibal Abdul-Qader denied on Friday reports on emergence of two cases of bird flu in the Egyptian capital, excluding one case of a child who tested positive in Faiyum province.
Abdul-Qadir said in a press release that all suspected cases of the disease were in two hospitals, adding that laboratory results proved that the two cases were tested negative, disregarding rumors that the samples of those two cases were positive.
The only exceptional case was of a two-year old child from Faiyum province, who was under treatment at hospital, the statement added. (end) az.mb KUNA 061902 Mar 09NNNN
This is precisely why, when I mentioned this report on Wednesday evening (see Egypt Reports 57th Human H5N1 Case), I stated:
. . . . thus far, I've seen no corroboration of the story in the usual online sources.
Until we hear from the Ministry of Health, it's probably best to assume that these are just `suspect cases'.
You get burned a few times by local media reports, as I have over the past 4 years, and you learn to adopt a very cautious attitude.
