Egyptian police boat on the Nile in Cairo, 31 Dec 2007

Health officials in Egypt say two more women in the country have died from bird flu, bringing the death toll from the disease to four in less than one week.

The health ministry said in a statement that one victim, from Menoufia province in the Nile Delta, was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died Monday. A ministry official said the victim was exposed to infected poultry.

Later in the day, health officials said a second woman, also from the Nile Delta, died from the disease. Further details of her case were not immediately available.

If confirmed by the World Health Organization, Monday's deaths will bring the number of bird flu fatalities in Egypt to 19. Forty three cases of human infection have been confirmed in the country since the virus appeared there in February 2006.

Egypt's location on major bird migration routes and the widespread practice of keeping domestic fowl near living quarters have helped make it the hardest-hit country outside of Asia.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.