An Egyptian worker cleans a poultry farm near Menoufia, 80 kms (50 miles) north of Cairo Jan. 1, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    CAIRO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian government has been exerting more efforts to prevent further spread of the bird flu virus since the fatal disease caused four human deaths in less than a week in late December, 2007.

    Egypt has culled 1,599 domestic poultry suspected of contracting bird flu in its latest efforts to prevent further spread of the fatal disease in the populous Middle East and North Africa country, the official MENA news agency reported Tuesday.

    The culling of birds was carried out in four governorates, namely Cairo, Qalyubiya, Minufiya and Gharbiya, chairman of the General Authority for Veterinary Services Hamid Samaha was quoted as saying.

    Under the supervision of a committee, the dead poultry was buried deep between two layers of white lime, said Samaha.

    The preventive medicine department has launched a campaign to vaccinate live poultry against the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the country, with the participation of 3,000 veterinarians, assistants and drivers.

    Some 85 million doses of anti-bird flu vaccines were secured, added Samaha.

    The anti-bird flu measures were taken as four more Egyptian people died of the fatal disease in less than a week in late December, 2007.

    On Monday, the Egyptian Health Ministry said a second woman died of bird flu in the evening, bringing the death toll of the fatal disease to 19 since the emergence of the lethal H5N1 virus in early 2006 in the country.

    Hanem Atwa Ibrahim, who was admitted to the intensive care unit of Abasiya Chest Hospital in Cairo on Wednesday, died Monday evening, the official MENA news agency quoted Health Ministry sources as saying.

    The 50-year-old woman was from Damietta Governorate in the Nile Delta, some 150 km north of the capital of Cairo.

    Ibrahim became the fourth victim of the virus in the most populous Arab nation in less than a week.

    Earlier in the day, another woman from the Nile Delta's Minufiya Governorate, some 65 km north of Cairo, died after contracting the fatal avian influenza.

    Fardos Mohamed Haddad, 36, died of the H5N1 strain of virus on Monday morning after being admitted to a fever hospital on Saturday due to fever, breathing problems and pneumonitis.

    The fatalities on Monday came just one day after the death of Fatima Fathi Mohamed, 25, from Delta governorate of Dakahlia, some90 km north of Cairo.

    On Tuesday evening, a 25-year-old woman Oula Yunes Ali Mohamed died of bird flu in Beni Suef Governorate, some 120 km south of Cairo, which was the first fatal case in the winter season of 2007in Egypt.

    According to media statistics, Egypt has reported a total of 43human cases up to now since it detected its first H5N1 virus in dead poultry in February 2006 and the first human case in March of the same year.

    Earlier on Sunday, Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Hatem el-Gabali warned against leniency over preventive measures against bird flu, especially in the winter season.

    The ministry has kept on reinforcing measures to curb the disease through a monitoring strategy carried out by some 27 teams around the various governorates in the country.

    During a meeting discussing means of preventing more cases, el-Gabali urged chest and fever hospitals in the country to intensify protective measures, Egypt State Information Service (SIS) reported on Saturday.

    The minister also ordered to speed up a media campaign to keep the citizens aware of the symptoms and dangers of the disease and, more importantly, how to deal with it.

    According to SIS, Giza Governorate has decided to launch campaigns to control home-bred poultry and close illegal living birds stores.

    Work-teams have been set up in Minufiya Governorate to execute poultry infected with bird flu using safe methods.

    Minufiya governor Hassan Hemaida has issued directives to intensify regular inspection patrols at some 4,882 poultry farms in the governorate, SIS said.