Egypt H1N1 death toll rises to 258

Egypt H1N1 death toll rises to 258

 The Egyptian Health Ministry reported on Sunday that the H1N1 influenza death toll has risen to 258. The statement said that one person was reported to have died from the virus, commonly known as swine flu, on Sunday.

According to the ministry, the 53-year-old man from Assiut succumbed to his illness, but the statement gave no further details on the death.

Since the virus first appeared in early June last year, the ministry has confirmed 15,800 cases of the virus, putting Egypt well to the top of the worst countries affected by the virus.

The first death was reported on July 19, last year, after a 28-year-old woman returned from the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca only to die as a result of the virus she allegedly contracted in that country.

The ministry has warned that the cooler winter months would bring on more reported cases, but has recently imported millions of vaccines to combat the growing surge of the virus.