Egyptian woman dies: 7th death from bird flu in Egypt

Cairo - An Egyptian woman died of bird flu on Monday, marking the country's seventh fatal case of avian influenza in humans, said the health ministry.

"It is the seventh death due to bird flu," health ministry spokesperson Abdel Rahman Shaheen was quoted as saying by the official Mena news agency.

"The lady contracted the disease while slaughtering domestic poultry, and was taken to hospital on October 4 after suffering from fever," said Shaheen.

The virus was first detected in Egypt in February.

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, is on a major route for migratory birds and is the hardest-hit non-Asian country since the bird flu epidemic broke out in 2003.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu, its most aggressive form, has killed more than 150 people worldwide, according to the world health organisation (WHO).