Egypt fears third bird flu case

The arrival of bird flu in Egypt last month caused panic

Egyptian officials have confirmed a third suspected human case of bird flu.

The latest victim, a 30-year-old woman, continued to work with chickens despite a ban imposed in mid-February, a health ministry official said.

On Monday, Egyptian officials said the second suspected human case, a man who had been in hospital since Thursday, had apparently recovered.

Egyptian state TV reported on Saturday that a woman had died last week from the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

All the cases originated in the Qaliubiya region, just north of Cairo.

The World Health Organisation has said that further tests are needed to confirm the virus caused the woman's death.

In February, the Egyptian government ordered the slaughter of all poultry kept in homes, as part of efforts to stop the spread of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

The H5N1 strain has killed at least 90 people since early 2003, mostly in South-East Asia.

The virus can infect humans in close contact with birds. There is still no evidence that it can be passed from human to human.