Bird flu outbreak in Egypt claims second woman in two days

An Egyptian woman has died of bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds, the second death from the disease in two days and the third in the country this year.

The 30 year old died in a hospital in the southern city of Assiut.

A 19-year-old woman died of bird flu on Monday in Assiut.

The ministry said a total of seven cases of the virus have been identified this year, including the three who died.

The World Health Organisation warns that whenever bird flu viruses are circulating in poultry, there is a risk of sporadic infections or small clusters of human cases, especially in people exposed to infected birds or contaminated environments.

Egypt's bird flu cases have largely been found in impoverished rural areas in the south of the country, where villagers, particularly women, tend to keep and slaughter poultry in their homes.

ALJAZEERA