Egypt reports first human bird flu death

CAIRO, Mar 18 (Reuters) An Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, the country's first human victim of the virus, Egypt's health ministry said today.

It said a 30-year-old woman from Qaloubiyah province, about 40 kms (25 miles) north of Cairo, was taken ill on Wednesday.

''They (doctors) took samples for analysis at the ministry of health laboratories ... They confirmed she was infected with bird flu. She died yesterday morning,'' a health ministry statement said, adding the woman had been given Tamiflu, a drug used to treat suspected cases of bird flu.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that Egypt had reported its first human case of bird flu. ''It was confirmed last night and reported officially this morning,'' said Dr Hassan al-Bushra, WHO's regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance.

Egypt reported cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in poultry flocks last month.

Bird flu has spread across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia and killed at least 98 people worldwide since 2003.

Although hard to catch, people can contract bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds. Scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form that could pass easily between humans, triggering a pandemic in which millions could die.

REUTERS DKS PM1746