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Teenage Egyptian girl catches bird flu

Other News Materials 9 April 2007 15:43 (UTC +04:00)

( AFP ) - A 15-year-old girl in Cairo has been diagnosed with bird flu, the 34th person in Egypt to be infected with the disease, the health ministry said Sunday.

Marina Kamil Mikhail, from Cairo's Shubra district, was admitted to hospital on Thursday with high fever, health ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahin told AFP.

The girl, who had been in contact with domestic poultry, was treated with Tamiflu, he said, adding that the rest of her family is being tested for the disease.

Egypt's position on major bird migration routes and the widespread practice of keeping domestic fowl close to living quarters have given the Arab world's most populous nation the highest human death toll from avian flu outside Asia.

So far, the virus has killed 13 people in the country.

Women and children have borne the brunt of the virus due to their role in taking care of domestic fowl. The government says it is conducting a vigorous campaign to combat the spread of the virus through vaccinations and raising awareness, but cases continue to appear.

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