Egyptian boy diagnosed with bird flu

A four year old boy in Egypt has been diagnosed with the potentially deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.



The Egyptian health ministry says the boy is from the Nile Delta region and has been in contact with sick birds.



There have been 70 cases of infection and deaths since bird flu first appeared in Egypt in 2006.



Egypt has seen a surge in cases of avian flu in recent weeks.



Ten new infections have been reported since the beginning of April. That is more than the total number of cases in 2008.



The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for an investigation to determine why many of those contracting the disease had been children.