Turkish girl, 12, dies from lethal bird flu strain

PRELIMINARY tests have confirmed that a 12-year-old Turkish girl who died was infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, while a 13-year-old Indonesian girl also died of the disease.

Fatma Ozcan died on Sunday in the eastern Turkish city of Van, but initial tests had been negative for H5N1. The Health Ministry ordered more tests after her five-year-old brother, Muhammet, tested positive. Officials said those confirmed her infection, raising the number of human cases in the country to 20 and the death toll to four.

Five patients had been discharged from hospitals as of Monday afternoon, leaving only 11 still in treatment, the ministry said.