Woman died from bird flu, tests indicate



More tests will be conducted to try to confirm the results.
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Initial tests at a U.S. Navy lab show that a 35-year-old woman who died this week in Egypt had bird flu, officials said Saturday. If the results are confirmed, she would be the country's first known human death from the disease.
In Israel, vets on Saturday slaughtered thousands of turkeys suspected of having the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, trying to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the Holy Land.
Late Saturday, Israel Channel Two TV reported the deadly strain had been officially confirmed at one of four suspected locations. Final test results for the other farming communities are expected early next week.
More tests
In Egypt, the Cairo lab found that the woman, who died Friday, had the H5N1 strain, lab spokesman Andrew Stegall said. The World Health Organization will conduct further tests in an effort to confirm the findings, said Hassan el-Bushra, the WHO's regional adviser for emerging diseases.
A number of people who came in contact with the woman also are being tested, el-Bushra told The Associated Press. He would not say how many people were being tested or whether they showed any symptoms of bird flu.
El-Bushra said the additional testing would be done by a lab in London or Atlanta, but he could not say when results would be available.
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