BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A 4-year-old Egyptian boy tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu Saturday, two days after being admitted to a hospital with fever and cold symptoms, the Health Ministry said Sunday.

    Mohammed Mahmoud Ibrahim is the 24th person to be diagnosed with the disease since it appeared in Egypt last year, the ministry said in a statement.

    Ibrahim lives in the Nile delta town of Daqahliya. He is receiving medical treatment at Manshiyat Al Bakri children's hospital in Cairo, the ministry said.

    A Health Ministry official said the boy contracted the virus from domestic birds raised by his family. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

    Thirteen of the 24 Egyptians who have contracted the H5N1 strain since last February have died. Most of the infected have been women or girls, who normally tend to look after chickens and turkeys kept in the backyards of Egyptian homes.

    Egypt is on a main route for migratory birds, which are believed to have brought the disease from Asia.

    Since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, the H5N1 strain has killed at least 167 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Health officials worldwide worry the strain could mutate into a form that spreads easily from person to person, sparking a pandemic.

    (Agencies)