CAIRO: The World Health Organization (WHO) this week confirmed two cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, in the country's newest outbreak of the virus. One of those cases resulted in the death of an Egyptian woman. It comes as Egypt is continuing to battle the H1N1, or swine flu, and has repeatedly said they expect a rise in infections in March. Details of one of the deaths was reported on February 15, of a 29-year-old woman from the el-Sadat district in the northern Menoufiya governorate. According to the report from the WHO, the woman, who was pregnant, became ill on February 6 and was admitted to a local hospital where she received the anti-viral drug Tamiflu beginning on February 12. She died the following day, the Egyptian health ministry confirmed. The other death was a 32-year-old man from Ashmon district in the same governorate, who also became ill on February 6 and was hospitalized. He is allegedly in stable condition after receiving the anti-viral medication early on, the ministry said. According to the WHO, both patients were exposed to sick and dead poultry. They are the 98th and 99th avian influenza cases to be reported in Egypt. This year, Egypt has recorded 9 total infections and three deaths as a result of the H5N1 virus. The WHO says that the majority of all cases in Egypt are in adults who have handled dead poultry. The country has reported dozens of in-poultry H5N1 outbreaks this year, most of them in household birds, though the virus has struck some commercial farms. The new Egyptian cases and deaths raise the global H5N1 total to 478 cases, which include 286 fatalities. BM
