LOC22:20
19:20 GMT
CAIRO, April 15 (KUNA) -- A 33-year-old woman has contracted the fatal bird
flu virus, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced on
Wednesday.
The new victim has been admitted to a hospital in Kafr El-Sheikh
governorate, north Cairo, with apparent symptoms of the H5N1 avian flu virus,
spokesman of the ministry Dr. Abulrahman Shahin told reporters.
She was suffering from very high temperature and acute breathing problems,
Shahin said, described the case as life-threatening. She has been immediately
helped with an artificial respiration.
The woman was reportedly contacted birds killed by the animal strain of the
virus, so she has been is being treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu, Dr.
Shahin added.
The case pushed the number of people who contracted the virus to 64 so far.
Since its first emergency in 2003, the virus has infected at least 410
people in 15 countries and killed 254 of them. It has forced the culling of
more than 300 million birds in 61 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa
and Europe. (end)
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KUNA 152220 Apr 09NNNN