A Nigerian woman who died of flu symptoms has tested positive to the H5N1 bird flu virus, Information Minister, Frank Nweke, said.
Health authorities in Nigeria were redoubling surveillance efforts on Thursday to track the deadly H5N1 virus in birds and humans after the first human bird flu death.
The United Nations health agency is helping the government of Nigeria monitor the situation following two suspected fatal bird flu cases in Africa?s most populous country, only the second possible incidence of the H5N1 virus in humans in the sub-Saharan region.
The Nigeria Government reported the death of a 22-year-old female and her mother in Lagos, the country?s largest city, earlier this month. Preliminary tests on samples from the younger woman were positive for the virus and have now been sent to a UN World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza for confirmation. Results are expected shortly. No samples were taken from the mother.