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For the second time in 4 days Egypt has announced the detection of another human H5N1 infection. This time it is a 4-year-old boy from Sharquiya.
In 2008, Egypt only reported a total of 8 human cases of avian influenza, with 4 fatalities.
This makes the 19th case this year (with 3 fatalities) reported by Egyptian officials.
Egyptian boy contracts bird flu
Four-year-old boy is 70th case in Egypt since highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu was identified in 2006.
CAIRO - A four-year-old Egyptian boy has contracted the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu, the 70th such case in Egypt since the disease was identified in 2006, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The boy, from the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya, was hospitalised with a fever and taken to Cairo where he tested positive for the virus, state news agency MENA quoted ministry official Amr Qandil as saying.
The boy is being treated with antiviral drug Tamiflu and is in a stable condition, the ministry said, adding that he had been in contact with sick birds.
The H5N1 virus is endemic in Egyptian poultry, and well over 1000 culls have taken place over the past 3 years.
