3rd person dies in Tangerang, SARS fears rise

3rd person dies in Tangerang, SARS fears rise

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

A mystery disease has claimed a father and his two young
daughters over the past six days, raising fears in the family's
neighborhood in Serpong district, Tangerang, about a possible
outbreak of the deadly avian influenza or Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Amid an ongoing investigation into the actual cause of death
of her father and younger sister, Sabrina Nurul Aisyah, 8, died
on Thursday morning at Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in Karawaci,
Tangerang, with a similar respiratory ailment.

The World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health,
however, have confirmed that Iwan Siswara Rifei, 37, and Thalita
Nurul Azizah, 1, died of an unspecified bacterial infection, not
the H5N1 bird flu virus or SARS.

Iwan, an employee of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) died at
Siloam Gleneagles Hospital on Tuesday evening, while Thalita died
earlier on Saturday at the Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta.

The remaining family members: Iwan's wife Lin Rosalin and
their eldest son Fariz Riski Nurohman had not been ill nor shown
signs of similar symptoms as the three victims, a close relative
said.

"The Siloam Gleneagles Hospital has confirmed that both Iwan
and Sabrina died of a respiratory infection, not bird flu or
SARS. But we, however, are still waiting for the final test
results from the Ministry of Health," Iwan's uncle Dedi Hawadi
Iswara told the media at the hospital on Thursday.

He said that Lin and Fariz would not speak to the press as
they were still distressed from the deaths.

He added that it was Sabrina who first came down with a high
fever and respiratory problems. She was admitted to the hospital
on June 29. Her father, who often visited her, and Thalita,
developed the same symptoms shortly thereafter.

The two were admitted to the hospital on July 7. The one-year-
old girl died after being treated for two days.

Deni also denied media reports that claimed that Iwan and his
family had just returned from India and Hong Kong, where at least
298 people have died of SARS in recent years.

"According to his passport, Iwan's last trip abroad was in
October last year to Hungary without his family," he said, adding
that Iwan was also scheduled to visit South Africa this week on
business.

Local health officials speculated on their diagnoses on
Wednesday, and stated that the three had a severe case of
pneumonia.

However, the investigating team established by the Ministry of
Health are still conducting further investigations, and those
results will be announced by the beginning of next week.

"We cannot tell at this moment which virus the family has
contracted because the samples of their blood are still being
examined in Hong Kong for laboratory tests.

"But we can say that avian influenza does not spread from
human to human. Humans can only contract bird flu from poultry,"
explained the team chairman Sardikin who visited Siloam
Gleneagles Hospital on Thursday.

World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Gina Samaan
also doubted it was bird flu as the victims had not been in
contact with poultry before they died.