Egyptian woman dies of bird flu, 20th in country

Tue Mar 4, 2008 11:20am EST

(Adds another new case, changes source)

CAIRO, March 4 (Reuters) - An Egyptian woman aged 25 has died of bird flu, the 20th death in Egypt from the disease since the deadly virus arrived in the country in early 2006, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

The woman, Suzanne Ali Salah Zaki, was from Fayoum province southwest of Cairo, and entered hospital on Feb. 27, it said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the ministry said an 11-year-old boy from the Nile Delta province of Menoufia had tested positive for the virus after entering a local hospital on Feb. 26.

Including the two latest cases, 46 Egyptians have tested positive for bird flu over the past two years. More than half of them recovered.

The woman and the boy, named as Mohamed Rabie Mohamed Abdel Halim, are thought to have come into contact with sick birds, the ministry added.

Four Egyptian women died from bird flu in December. Their deaths ended a 5-month pause in human cases in Egypt and brought to 19 the number of Egyptians who have died of the H5N1 virus.

It is the third winter the virus has struck after lying low during Egypt's hot summers.

Around 5 million households in Egypt depend on poultry as a main source of food and income, and the government has said this makes it unlikely the disease can be eradicated despite a large-scale poultry vaccination programme.

Deaths from bird flu total more than 230 worldwide since 2003 and have been reported in several African and Asian countries. Egypt has been the worst-hit country outside of Asia. (Writing by Jonathan Wright) (jonathan.wrighti@reuters.com; +20 2 2578 3290/1; Reuters Messaging: jonathan.wright.reuters.com@reuters.net))

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