CAIRO.- The growing bird flu outbreak in Egypt reached new heights this weekend when the death of a 10-year-old girl increased the nation's death toll to 15.

Alalam Satellite TV reported Sunday that health officials have confirmed the recent death from the H5N1 virus, which represented the end of a two-month lull in such fatalities.

Officials said Mayyada Tuhami died Saturday in Cairo, more than a week after the child began showing symptoms. The young girl, who likely was infected by household birds, was not brought to a local hospital until a week after those symptoms showed.

Officials blame the delay for her missing medical treatment that could have saved her life.

The virus first appeared in the beginning of 2006 within Egypt's borders and the nation has had 35 confirmed cases since that initial outbreak began, Alalam Satellite TV reported.