More suspected bird flu patients hospitalized<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The number of people showing symptoms of bird flu continued to
\nrise on Thursday as six more people suspected of being infected
\nwith the virus were admitted to Sulianti Saroso Hospital in
\nSunter, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Sulianti Saroso Hospital deputy director Sardikin Giri Putro
\nsaid that with the six new patients, the number of people who had
\nbeen admitted to hospital for suspected bird flu had risen to 14.<\/p>\n
"They have symptoms similar to people infected with bird flu.
\nAll of them have been in recent contact with birds or visited
\nRagunan Zoo several days earlier," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The six new patients include an eight-year-old boy from
\nCilandak, South Jakarta, who arrived at the hospital at 11:30
\np.m. on Wednesday with acute respiratory problems and a high
\ntemperature.<\/p>\n
The boy visited Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta on Sept. 17. The
\nzoo has been closed since Monday after 19 birds tested positive
\nfor bird flu.<\/p>\n
A 10-year-old girl from Cibubur in East Jakarta, a one year-
\nold-boy from Cakung, East Jakarta and a 19-year-old man from
\nCilandak arrived at almost the same time -- 1:00 a.m. on Thursday
\n-- at the hospital<\/p>\n
Both the girl and the boy had visited Ragunan Zoo recently,
\nwhile the man, who works for a cleaning company, fed birds in his
\noffice every day.<\/p>\n
A man from Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java arrived at the hospital
\nat 3:00 p.m. on Thursday accompanied by his family. One of his
\nfamily members said the man's temperature had risen soon after 15
\nof his chickens had died.<\/p>\n
A 55-year-old civil servant from Sunter was taken to the
\nSulianti Saroso hospital at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. He reportedly
\ngot sick after 11 of his chickens died.<\/p>\n
Of the 15 patients, only two -- a seven-year-old girl from
\nTangerang and a nine-year-old boy from South Jakarta -- have
\ntested positive for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.<\/p>\n
"Two have tested positive. We are still waiting for the test
\nresults from the Ministry of Health laboratory to confirm the
\nconditions of the other patients," Sardikin said.<\/p>\n
A five-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl who
\nhad exhibited the symptoms of bird flu died on Wednesday after
\nbeing treated at the Sulianti Saroso and Cikini hospitals
\nrespectively since Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari, however, said that an
\ninitial test suggested that the five-year old girl had not been
\ninfected with the virus. A test on a blood sample from the two-
\nyear old girl has not yet been concluded.<\/p>\n
So far, four people have been confirmed to have died of bird
\nflu in the country.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the city's husbandry, agriculture and maritime
\nagency said it would follow up Governor Sutiyoso's instruction to
\nrearrange the zoning for livestock areas as well as slaughter
\nhouses to prevent the bird flu outbreak from worsening.<\/p>\n
"But, we are not going to ban private ownership of poultry.
\nThe rule will only apply to business entities related to
\npoultry," said the agency's officer Hery Indiyanto.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-suspected-bird-flu-patients-hospitalized-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}