April 21, 2006	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 22, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, April 20: With the arrival of two more patients to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) the number of bird flu suspects rose to seven on Thursday.

The sources said that Adnan, 13, and a minor, with fever accompanied by cough, flu were brought to the Pims from National Institute of Health.

Adnan was kept in the Medical II isolation ward, specially set up to treat the bird flu patients. While the minor was kept in the children hospital.

Blood specimens, throat and nasal swabs from the persons of bird flu affected area of Sihala were collected and sent to NIH for necessary laboratory tests of avian influenza.

A joint team of health ministry, World Health Organization, NIH and the District Health Department, Islamabad is monitoring the area and send all those people who are suffering from flu.

The team shifted these two new bird flu suspects when they found symptoms of the virus among them, the sources said, adding that a large number of bird flue suspects were likely to shift to the hospitals from the affected areas, as the majority of the people from the area were suffering from flu.

Earlier, Fazilat Bibi 24, Mohammad Zahid, 4, were brought to the hospital with the symptoms of bird flu, and kept in the isolation ward. The medical report is awaited.

However, three other bird flu suspects Halima, 8, Saad Wali, 22 and Khadeja were from the Pims after they tested negative for the avian flu.