Tuesday, March 15, 2011Front Page Staff Correspondent

A 13-month-old girl was diagnosed with bird flu virus in the capital yesterday.

The minor girl of the city’s Kamalapur area was taken to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) with fever where doctors found ?mild symptoms? of the virus in her body, said IEDCR Director Mahmudur Rahman.

This is the second case of human infection of bird flu, also known as avian influenza (H5N1), in the country.

The first human infection was detected on may 22, 2008. Also in the capital, it was a 15-month-old boy who fully recovered after treatment at the IEDCR.

The girl, however, is not having any serious breathing problem, which is normally the case.

The symptom is so mild that it has been detected because of the extensive surveillance, Mahmudur said, adding that proper treatment of the girl has been ensured.

“She is fine now and will recover soon.”

The IEDCR director advised to take precautionary measures, as the virus affected the poultry firms in the country in the last several months.