Cairo, Egypt ? Initial tests at a U.S. Navy lab show that a 35-year-old woman who died last week in Egypt had bird flu, officials said Saturday. If the results are confirmed, she would be the country’s first known human death from the disease.

The lab in Cairo found that the woman, who died Friday, had the H5N1 strain, lab spokesman Andrew Stegall said. The World Health Organization will conduct further tests in an effort to confirm the findings, said Hassan el-Bushra, the WHO’s regional adviser for emerging diseases.

A number of people who came in contact with the woman also are being tested, el-Bushra told The Associated Press. He would not say how many people were being tested or whether they showed any symptoms of bird flu.

Meanwhile in Israel, veterinarians on Saturday slaughtered thousands of turkeys suspected of having the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, trying to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the Holy Land.

Late Saturday, Israel Channel Two TV reported the deadly strain had been officially confirmed at one of four suspected locations. Final test results for the other farming communities are expected early this week.