Indonesia confirms 8th human bird flu fatality

Indonesia confirms 8th human bird flu fatality

INDONESIA: A 25-year-old Indonesian woman who died four days ago
has been confirmed by World Health Organization (WHO) tests as
being the country's eighth bird flu victim, a health ministry
official said Saturday.

"We've received the results" from the WHO testing laboratory
in Hong Kong, and they were positive, official Hariadi Wibisono
told AFP.

The victim, Sri Wahyuni, had earlier returned positive results
to initial local tests for the deadly H5N1 avian influenza
strain, which has killed at least seven other Indonesians and
infected five who have survived.

Wahyuni, who was a housewife, was admitted to Sulianto Saroso
Hospital, Indonesia's main facility for treating bird flu
patients, on November 24 after being treated at a hospital on the
outskirts of the capital for three days.

A hospital spokesman said six more patients being treated at
the hospital were currently undergoing initial testing. -- AFP