Egypt announces first case of swine flu

I / Cairo June 3, 2009, 12:00 IST

Egypt has announced its first case of swine flu when a 12-year-old Egyptian-American girl arriving here tested positive for the disease.

"The first case of swine flu is a 12-year-old Egyptian girl holding US citizenship," Egyptian Health Minister Hatim al-Jabali said.

The girl, whose name was not released, arrived in Cairo from an unspecified European country. The girl was accompanied by her mother to spend the summer vacation in Egypt.

He said that quarantine officials were suspicious when the young girl appeared feverish while passing through the thermal detector machine at the airport.

"They isolated the girl and took her to a hospital in Cairo. A sample was also taken from her mother," Hatim said.

"The samples were sent to laboratories. The lab confirmed the infection of the girl and sent the sample to the NAMRU -3 laboratories in Cairo which also confirmed the infection. As for the mother, she tested negative for the virus," he added.

Around 145 passengers on the flight tested negative for the disease.

The World Health Organisation says says the disease has spread to 64 countries and infected 18,965 people, causing 117 deaths.