Iwan and daughters infected by bird: Minister

Iwan and daughters infected by bird: Minister

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government says the three people in Tangerang who died of
avian influenza may have contracted the virus from the feces of
infected birds, while denying three other people showing typical
symptoms of bird flu have the disease.

Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said the latest field
tests performed by her office had found bird feces containing the
deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza. She said it was possible
Iwan Siswara and his two daughters contracted the disease from
the feces of infected poultry.

"We can only say that we discovered bird feces that tested
positive for the virus, but it remains unknown where Iwan
contracted the disease," Siti said.

She said it was unlikely Iwan and his daughters contracted the
virus by eating chicken or through human-to-human transmission.

Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono confirmed the
discovery of feces containing the avian influenza virus around
Iwan's neighborhood.

"We have found feces that contained the bird flu virus. But we
cannot determine if the feces was the source of the virus that
killed Iwan and his two daughters," Anton said during a press
conference after meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Iwan lived in Legok, Tangerang, Banten, where the government
culled dozens of pigs and ducks on Sunday that had tested
positive for the virus.

There has also been speculation that Iwan and his daughters
contracted the virus from infected pigs.

Avian influenza can be transmitted to humans through an
intermediate host such as a pig.

Siti said Iwan and his daughters were the only known human
cases of bird flu in the country. She was commenting on three
people, including a Malaysian national, who displayed symptoms of
avian influenza infection.

Two Indonesians, AS and AB, are being treated at Sulianti
Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta after displaying symptoms
similar to those associated with bird flu. Their blood samples
have been sent to the WHO laboratory in Hong Kong for testing. It
normally takes the laboratory at least one week to complete the
tests.

The Malaysian national died last week and has been cremated.

"After going over the medical records of the Malaysian man, I
am convinced that his death was not caused by the avian influenza
virus. He had a high fever for about two weeks, which is more
similar to typhoid," Siti said.

People who contract the bird flu virus usually only survive
for three or four days if they suffer from a high fever.

In Sukabumi, West Java, the provincial health office culled
1,200 chickens infected with avian influenza at a farm in Cicurug
village.

The head of animal husbandry in the province, Musni Suatmodjo,
said it would be difficult to stop the spread of the virus
because it had infected ducks and wild birds, including pigeons.

Health offices in the South Sumatra regencies of Musi
Banyuasin and Musi Rawas plan to cull chickens suspected of being
infected with avian influenza later this week.