Two New Human Cases Of Avian Influenza, Egypt

The Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratory and the US Naval Medical Research Unit Number 3 (NAMRU-3) have confirmed that two more people have become infected with the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus.


-- A girl, aged 6, was hospitalized on March 25th with bird-flu-like symptoms. She is from Qena Governorate.


-- A boy, aged 5, was hospitalized with bird-flu-like symptoms, also on March 25th. He is from Menia Governate.


Authorities say that both the boy and the girl are in a stable condition. Both children had been exposed to infected poultry.


So far, 29 humans have become infected with bird flu in Egypt, of which 13 have died.


Experts fear the H5N1 bird flu virus strain will eventually mutate and become easily human transmissible. This has not happened yet. It is still very difficult for a bird to infect a human - it is even harder for a human to infect another human.


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