A 25-year-old woman from Fayoum, an hour southwest of Cairo, has died in a Giza hospital as a result of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. Suzanne Ali Salah had been reported infected last week and was being treated with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

Salah became the 20th victim in the North African nation to have died from the deadly avian flu since it was first discovered in March 2006, the ministry of health said on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, Salah was the 44th case of bird flue reported in humans since the outbreak. Family and friends have been tested for the virus and the ministry said all tests proved negative.

Since January 1, at least 5 people, including Salah, have died of the bird flu virus after a 6-month lull when no fatalities were reported.

Egypt has put more effort in stemming the infection rate of the deadly disease that caused four deaths in less than one week in December 2007. The North African nation, on the migratory route for a number of birds, has been the hardest hit nation outside of East Asia.