Jordan finds first human bird flu case

AMMAN, Mar 31 (Reuters) Jordan today reported its first human case of bird flu on Friday in an Egyptian labourer who was believed to have become infected while on a holiday in his home town in Egypt, health officials said.

Health Minister Said Darwazeh said the man, a 31-year old labourer, who had lived in Jordan for three years, had been taken to hospital yesterday after suffering severe breathing problems three days after arriving from his home town in Fayoum where people had been in close contact with infected poultry.

''His condition is good and (he is) getting treatment and we are coordinating with the Egyptian authorities,'' Darwazeh told Reuters, adding that preliminary tests showed there were no other cases.

Jordan became the latest country in the West Asia to confirm cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu this week but had said no humans had been infected and the outbreak was under control.

Egypt has reported bird flu infections in five people in recent weeks, two of whom died.

REUTERS KD RAI2144