A 30-year-old woman from Beni Mazar Center in Minia Governorate, Egypt is the eighth confirmed human case of H5N1 avian influenza (AI) reported in 2014 in the north African country.

H5N1 avian influenza Image/Cynthia Goldsmith/ Jackie Katz
H5N1 avian influenza
Image/Cynthia Goldsmith/ Jackie Katz

According to a Egyptian Ministry of Health press statement (computer translated), the woman was exposed to sick birds (domestic breeding).

The statement notes the patient exhibited symptoms on Nov. 11 to include fever, sore throat and cough, difficulty breathing and pain in the joints. She started treatment with Tamiflu.

She was hospitalized with double pneumonia and placed in intensive care several days later. She is reportedly in stable condition.

The Ministry says this is the 7th H5N1 AI case this year; however, an additional case was reported earlier this year by the Beheira Ministry of Health, a regional health ministry,  which would bring the country’s total to eight.

There has been two deaths attributed to the virus so far this year in Egypt.

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