New human bird flu case in Egypt

A worker disinfects houses after the third death in March

Egypt has detected its first human case of the bird flu virus since May in a woman who raised ducks from her home.

The woman is said to have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus in tests carried out by the country's health authorities.

This brings to 15 the total number of human bird flu cases in Egypt since the virus was first detected in February.

Six people have died so far, while eight have recovered after being treated with the anti-flu drug Tamiflu.

Egypt is a major route for migratory birds and is one of the countries worst hit by the virus outside Asia.

In the Middle East, the disease is also known to be present in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.