A woman has died from bird flu in Assiut, Upper Egypt, raising the death toll caused by the virus to four this year, the health ministry announced.

The 47 year old was admitted to Assiut Chest hospital in a critical condition and passed away on Monday.

A 36-year-old woman from Cairo was infected with bird flu and is being treated at Cairo Medical Center, the ministry added. While a six-year-old boy from Minya is being treated at the University of Assiut hospital.

Since the start of 2015, 20 bird flu cases have been recorded in Egypt, of which ten have recovered, four died and another six are undergoing treatment.

Last year, 11 people died from bird flu.

Most cases of bird flu in Egypt have been identified in rural areas, where villagers, especially women, tend to raise poultry in their homes, increasing exposure to live or dead infected birds.

The virus first appeared in Egypt in 2006.