The World Health Organisation (WHO) is sending several thousand courses of influenza drug Tamiflu to Iraq to help treat any further cases of deadly bird flu in humans.
The United Nations' health agency has already announced that a team, including veterinary experts, is on the way to investigate the situation in the north after a teenager died last month from the virus.
"The WHO is helping the government of Iraq to get a supply of Tamiflu and it is on its way," said Margaret Chan, WHO assistant director-general for communicable diseases.
The 7,000-10,000 courses of the drug, made by Swiss firm Roche, would arrive in the next few days, she told journalists.
A course is a packet of 10 pills which are to be taken two times a day for five days. Tamiflu is regarded as the best available treatment against bird flu.
The teenage girl, who died on January 17th, lived near an area of northern Iraq frequented by migratory birds, blamed for the spread of bird flu out of Asia. It is also not far from Iraq's border with Turkey, where 12 human cases have been confirmed by the WHO, among them four children who died.
Samples from two other suspected Iraqi cases are expected soon in London for final tests. One is the uncle of the dead girl, who died himself on Jan. 27, while the other is a woman of 54 who is being treated for respiratory illness.