March 11, 2006 - 14:22 AMT
Youth Dies of Suspected Bird Flu in Baku
On Friday 16-year-old Shahriyar Asgarov, a resident of the Daikand village, Salyan region, who has been hospitalized with the bird flu symptoms, died at the Scientific Research Institute of Lung Diseases, says a news release of the Azerbaijani Health Ministry. But the Ministry insists that the cause of the death was double pneumonia and lung deficiency. The final diagnosis of the patient will be determined by a test at a London laboratory.

Out of the four deceased residents of the region, analysis were negative in two cases: one died from pneumonia, and the other - from an oncological disease. The Azeri Health Ministry reports that no one from Salyan region is hospitalized at the moment. In spite there is no direct proof of death from bird flu, there is ground that the young man died from that disease exactly. It should be reminded that until lately Azeri Health Ministry representatives denied there are people in Azerbaijan infected with avian influenza, in spite of numerous alarming signals by the society and media, reports Day.az.