Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Egypt: Two-year old struck with Bird Flu

Health 2/5/2009 12:21:00 AM

CAIRO, Feb 4 (KUNA) -- Health authorities here announced Wednesday that a new case of the Bird Flu was discovered in the province of Suez involing a male child, thus bringing the number of people struck by this disease in the country to 54 since its appearance in Egypt in Feb. 2006.

The afflicted child, Mahmoud Gharib, is two years old, said Dr Abdulrahman Shaheen, spokesman for the ministry of Health, adding that the Flu symptoms began to appear on the child last Monday, following which he was admitted to the hospital for observation. He had come in contact with dead birds while playing which resulted in his running up high fever and severe coughing and other symptoms normally associated with the Bird Flu. This took place last Friday.

The disease had struck dead 22 people in Egypt since its appearance, and authorities here fear its resurgence mainly because poultry shops, chicken-coop keepers at home, and bird collectors mishandle dead birds which exposes these people to the deadly Flu. (end)
bna.ajs KUNA 050021 Feb 09NNNN

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