Govt examines possible human avian flu case

Govt examines possible human avian flu case

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Ministry of Health officer confirmed on Friday reports of a
possible human avian flu case and is currently waiting for
further laboratory test results in the coming two weeks.

"One of the 63 specimens taken from poultry workers having had
contact with H5N1-infected chickens came back with suspicious
symptoms," Ministry of Health director general of contagious
disease control Umar Fahmi Achmadi said.

"Unlike the others, which were declared negative, the result
of this one sample showed a borderline case between positive and
negative," he said, adding that the ministry had taken another
blood sample from the person and sent it to a Hong Kong
laboratory to be double checked.

The health ministry had sent 63 blood samples taken from
poultry workers believed to have had the highest contact
frequencies with infected birds. The samples were taken in five
regencies in South Sulawesi after a bird flu outbreak.

Local health agency head Muhadir reported last week that the
samples were taken from workers in Sidenreng Rappang, Pinrang,
Wajo, Maros and Soppeng regencies.

World Health Organization acting representative Frits de Haan
told The Jakarta Post that the inconclusive result might have
been caused by insufficient or improperly taken samples.

According to the WHO, avian influenza, identified in Italy
more than 100 years ago, is an infectious disease of birds caused
by type-A strains of the influenza virus.

In Indonesia, the avian flu viruses found are of the H5N1
type, similar to those found in China, which is known to be
infectious only to poultry due to its molecular distinctiveness.
However, WHO representative Georg Petersen said that H5N1 could
also directly infect humans.

A different type of avian flu virus hit the Asian region in
2003 killing 46 people -- 33 in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and one
in Cambodia. Almost every person who has fallen ill with bird flu
is known to have caught the virus from contact with sick birds.

Like the common influenza virus, the avian flu virus can be
transmitted through the air or through direct contact with
infected individuals. Therefore, people with a high intensity of
contact with infected poultry or who live near livestock
inhabited areas are considered to have a high possibility of
becoming infected.

Last week, the Minister of Agriculture confirmed that it had
found a positive bird flu case in pigs in Banten province,
raising concerns that the deadly virus had taken a step closer to
infecting humans in Indonesia.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) molecular virology
researcher Andi Utama said earlier that a new virus could emerge
if a pig became infected with the avian flu and human flu virus
simultaneously. Although such a newly formed virus has not been
found, it could be transferable to humans.

In line with both findings, the Ministry of Health suggested
that people working on farms wear masks, gloves and be sprayed
with disinfectant before and after entering pens.

"It is very important that workers do not touch dead poultry
or pigs with their bare hands," Umar said, adding that the
ministry is intensifying its surveillance.

Consumers of poultry and pigs, however, should not worry about
getting infected provided they made sure that the meat was cooked
at least 80 degrees Celsius, since the avian flu virus could not
stand high temperatures.