Egyptian child contracts bird flu, 39 suspected cases reported

CAIRO, June 2 (RIA Novosti) - A child has been diagnosed with bird flu in Egypt and another 39 people have been hospitalized with suspected infections, a spokesman for the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.

A 4-year-old girl from the northern Egyptian province of Kafr El-Sheikh is currently in stable condition and is being treated with antiviral drugs.

Egypt's first case of bird flu was recorded in 2006. Since then, 78 people are known to have contracted the H5N1 virus in the country, and at least 27 have died.

According to World Health Organization data, a total of 262 people have died worldwide since bird flu was first discovered in 2003.