14 DAY TRIAL // The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that 4 Egyptians got infected with bird flu and another two have died of the disease.
Nasr al-Sayyed, an Egyptian Health Ministry official, stated on Monday that a WHO laboratory in Britain verified the 4 cases after the Egyptian government sent samples from people it suspects have caught the virus, for final confirmation.
According to the government, 8 Egyptians have been infected with bird flu, out of which 2 have recovered, while the others remaining are still being treated. In Egypt, the virus was first detected in February in birds and the first human bird flu case was announced on March 18, officials taking severe measures to prevent the spread. Still, people in poor rural areas are ignoring instructions to get rid of their poultry.
So far, people have caught the disease from direct contact with infected birds, transmission from human to human being out of the question. Although difficult for a person to catch it, scientists fear the H5N1 strain could mutate into a form that can pass easily between humans.
According to recent figures from the WHO, the total number of confirmed human infections since the current outbreak began in 2003 has reached 190, the virus causing the death of 107.