Off the wire
• Urgent: Gold ends seven-session winning streak  • World Bank forecast optimistic about Poland, central Europe region  • Spanish stock market rises 0.50 pct, closes at 10,335 points  • 1st LD: Yemeni president accepts Houthi demands to end crisis  • Israel beefs up security in north after airstrike in Syria  • African countries vow to set up single African air transport market  • Khartoum international fair kicks off  • Russia seeks military facilities on Cyprus: Russian ambassador  • Liberia cremates 2,800 Ebola bodies  • U.S. military provides medical services for Burundian citizens  
You are here: 　 Home

Algeria denies reports over detection of bird influenza, swine flu cases

Xinhua, January 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Algerian Health Minister Abdelmalik Boudiaf on Wednesday denied the existence of any bird flu and swine cases, following reports of the death of some patients from seasonal flu.

"We have not detected so far any case of bird influenza or swine flu," Boudiaf told the local radio channel, adding that the recent reported death cases were due to seasonal influenza.

On Wednesday, Abdelhamid Ourari, an official at the hospital of Ain Taya in Algiers, revealed to the local radio channel that six people died from harsh seasonal flu since the beginning of January, raising thus doubts that these death cases were caused by bird influenza or swine flu.

"The patients died from complex seasonal flu," Abdelhamid Ourari said, adding that "they were already suffering from chronic illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases."

The World Health Organization considers the seasonal flu as a public health emergency of international concern, as it causes serious health complications, including death. Endit