File Photo: A women and her son wear face masks to avoid infection at an underground train station in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo: reuters)
A woman has died from avian flu in Assiut, Upper Egypt, the health ministry announced on Monday.
Her daughter was also infected by the virus and is currently being treated in hospital.
Last May, the UN Information Office held a briefing about the status of avian flu in Egypt.
Dr Henrik Bekedam, WHO representative in Egypt, said 26 percent of global avian flu cases are in Egypt, adding that it has infected 660 people worldwide and killed 175.
Bekedam told Ahram Online that the risk of the disease to Egyptians was still palpable saying the way people handle poultry is the key factor.
Many Egyptians raise poultry in their homes thus increasing exposure to live or dead infected birds.
H5N1 was first reported in Hong Kong in 1997. It then spread in 2003 and 2004 from Asia to countries all over the world. It infected hundreds and killed many.
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