A 33-year-old woman in northern Egypt has been hospitalized after doctors confirmed she contracted bird flu, the country`s Health Ministry said on Thursday.

A spokesman said the woman, from the province of Kafr el-Sheikh, apparently became infected after coming into contact with sick poultry and showed the first symptoms of the disease on April 7. He said her condition was serious.

Egypt`s first case of bird flu was recorded in 2006, and 64 people have since become infected with the deadly virus, 24 of whom have died.

The 63rd bird flu case was confirmed near Cairo 10 days ago.

As of April 8, a total of 417 bird flu cases had been registered worldwide since the virus was first detected in 2003, resulting in 257 deaths, according to the WHO.

Although there have been no incidences of human-to-human infection, experts fear that the bird flu virus may mutate into a form that could be easily transmitted from person to person, causing a global pandemic.
sections: World News