MONTPELLIER, January 22 – In a disturbing development a 32-year old woman was hospitalized in France after she has shown symptoms of the avian influenza. The woman recently returned from a holiday in Turkey and showed severe signs that she had contracted the much dreaded disease.
Preliminary tests have dismissed the suspicion of a possible H5N1 infection but for further safety measures the woman has been quarantined and is now treated with anti-viral medication.
The woman explained that she traveled through the Tarsus-region on her holiday and saw dead poultry lying around. Although doctors do not believe her travel conditions would have exposed her to these dead birds all safety measures were taken to prevent any possible spread.
This is the second case of a suspected bird flu infection in Europe. Earlier a Belgian journalist was hospitalized after showing symptoms of the bird flu but luckily it was false alarm. Further testing will determine whether the woman in France is indeed free of infection.
