Samples from four patients, previously announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Health as infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus, have now been tested in a WHO collaborating laboratory in the United Kingdom. Positive H5N1 results were obtained for all four patients.
The four cases were described in WHO updates issued on 20 March and 29 March. Two of the patients died. Two patients fully recovered and have now been discharged from hospital.
A fifth patient, previously announced by the Ministry of Health, remains hospitalized.
On 2 April, Egyptian authorities announced that an additional two residents of Kafr El-Sheikh, a 6-year-old girl and her 18-month-old sister, were shown to have H5N1 infections in local laboratory tests. Both girls remain hospitalized in stable condition.
