WHO confirms new bird flu victim<\/p>\n
Hera Diani and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta\/Semarang<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari confirmed on Friday the
\nfourth human fatality from avian influenza in the country, after
\na World Health Organization-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong
\nannounced the results of tests on the victim's blood sample.<\/p>\n
Siti said that Rini Dina Prasetyaningsih, 37, who died last
\nweekend, tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu
\nvirus, but the source of the virus was still not clear.<\/p>\n
\"The sequencing process has yet to be completed. We are still
\ninvestigating the source of the virus,\" she said after a meeting
\nat the Office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.<\/p>\n
A resident of Petukangan Utara subdistrict in South Jakarta,
\nRini was admitted to Bintaro International Hospital in Tangerang,
\nBanten, on Sept. 6 with symptoms of severe pneumonia.<\/p>\n
She had been suffering from flu-like symptoms for several days
\nand also had leukopenia, a drastic decline in the white blood
\ncells to under 6,000 cells per cubic centimeter.<\/p>\n
The victim, who worked at an immigration service bureau, lived
\nnear a chicken slaughterhouse in a crowded neighborhood, but was
\nnot in frequent contact with chickens.<\/p>\n
Rini is the fourth person in Indonesia to die from bird flu.
\nIwan Siswara and his two daughters, residents of Tangerang,
\nBanten, died of the virus in July.<\/p>\n
Siti reiterated that there were still no recorded cases of
\nhuman-to-human transmission of the virus, so people should not
\npanic.<\/p>\n
She said another person who lived near Rini was also suspected
\nof having contracted the virus.<\/p>\n
\"We have taken blood samples from everyone who lives near the
\nvictim, and there is one suspected case. But the person is
\nhealthy so we are still investigating,\" said Siti, who declined
\nto identify the suspected new case.<\/p>\n
She said the government was continuing to carry out
\nmonitoring and poultry vaccinations to help stop the spread of
\nthe virus.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is handling the poultry,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, several workers at the Cantung cemetery in
\nSemarang, Central Java, where Rini was buried, have expressed
\nconcern over their health after discovering the cause of Rini's
\ndeath.<\/p>\n
Agus Suhartoko, who dug the victim's grave, said he stripped
\naway three layers of plastic covering Rini's body although her
\nfamily warned him not to.<\/p>\n
\"But I was told by the local cleric to uncover her body
\nbecause according to Islamic law, a body should only be covered
\nby white cloth,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He did not blame Rini's family, however, as the hospital only
\nsaid that Rini died from acute pneumonia.<\/p>\n
Siswanto and Saedoni, who carried Rini's body to the grave,
\nasked the government for information about the virus.<\/p>\n
\"Please find a cure so that we are not infected by the virus,\"
\nSaedoni said.<\/p>\n
The head of the Central Java Health Office, Budihardja, said
\nhis office had taken blood samples from Rini's family and
\nneighbors and was monitoring their health.<\/p>\n
\"We will get the results in a week. But clearly, there has
\nbeen no case of human-to-human transmission of avian flu.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-confirms-new-bird-flu-victim-1447893297",
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