CAIRO: Warda Eid Ahmed, 27, from Beni Suef was the 11th Egyptian to die of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Egypt, the most recent victim of an upsurge of contractions this winter. Investigations into two Gharbiyah province deaths in December - those of a 16-year old female and her 26-year-old uncle - reveals that the virus has genetically mutated into a form more resistant to Tamiflu (also known as oseltamivir) the most effective treatment for bird flu to date, reported the UN World Health Organization (WHO). This mutation was previously identified in one case in Vietnam in 2005. Laboratory testing of Warda Eid's strain on the virus is being conducted in London. Since there is no evidence to suggest that the mutation is related to changed transmissibility between humans or that it is widespread, the WHO is not altering its plan of action for the time being. On its website, the organization stated: WHO is not making any changes in antiviral treatment recommendations for H5N1-infected persons published in June 2006 because the clinical level of resistance of these mutations is not yet well established. Last week, Al-Akhbar daily newspaper published a statement by Minister of Health Dr Hatem El Gabaly, who indicated that the probability of death from bird flu infection reached up to 50 percent in Egypt, while Chairman of the Doctors' Syndicate Hamdy El Sayed told the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm that the percentage reached 100 percent. Dr Sayed Al-Abbasy from the Ministry of Health told The Daily Star Egypt the discrepancy was a misunderstanding, stating that last winter mortality was 50 percent while it is currently 100 percent. Al-Abbasy says the reason behind bird flu cases in Egypt was lack of cooperation from the public. He explains that villagers deny contact with poultry, sometimes even hiding the birds in washers or cupboards, for fear that their source of livelihood will be culled. By the time they start getting treatment it is too late. While Hassan Al-Bushra of the WHO declined to comment on the figures, he commended the Egyptian authorities cooperation and honesty, stating that all cases get reported to the WHO immediately. Bird flu was first detected in Egypt in February 2006 and has spread to at least 19 of the country s 26 provinces. Overall, there have been 267 reported human H5N1 cases worldwide, 161 of them fatal. The past year proved the deadliest so far both within Egypt, with ten deaths and 18 contractions, and globally. More than 200 million birds have died from either the virus or preventive culling.
