BAKU: The worldwide human toll from bird flu has crossed 100 with the death of three people in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, health authorities here said on Tuesday.
The deaths are yet to be verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), but Azerbaijani officials said the highly pathogenic H5N1 flu strain was identified in the victims from the southern Salyan region.
Once they are officially logged by the WHO, the deaths will bring the organization’s toll from the disease worldwide since 2003 to 101 people.
The vast majority of the victims lived in Asia.
They are also the first human fatalities on the territory of the former Soviet Union.
“Three samples from deceased patients tested positive for bird flu on equipment brought into Azerbaijan by the World Health Organization on Monday,” Azerbaijani health ministry spokeswoman Samaya Mamedova said.—AFP
