Residents worry over reports of bird flu

Residents worry over reports of bird flu

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fears of contracting bird flu prompted residents of Petukangan
Utara neighborhood in South Jakarta to rush to a temporary health
center on Monday to have a blood sample taken.

Men, women, old and young alike fell in line to wait their
turn to have their blood taken by officials from the Ministry of
Health and the Jakarta Health Agency.

"I met with the woman who died several times so I must have my
blood tested. I am afraid that the virus has infected me too. And
just as a precautionary measure, I have asked my daughter to have
her blood tested too," Aisyah, one of the residents, told The
Jakarta Post after her blood sample was taken.

A 37-year old woman living in the neighborhood died at 8:55
p.m. on Saturday in Bintaro International Hospital after being
treated since Sept. 6.

According to the hospital, which was later confirmed by the
Ministry of Health, the woman died of avian influenza, commonly
known as bird flu.

Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said that a sample of
the woman's blood had been sent to a laboratory in Hong Kong to
ascertain whether or not she died because of bird flu.

Head of the disease evaluation section at the Ministry of
Health Tato Suharto said that his office and the Jakarta Health
Agency took blood samples of all the people who came in contact
with the dead woman.

"We require residents to come to have their blood taken if
they think they had come in contact with the woman. We have to
take blood samples from over 30 people today. We will also make
residents aware of the virus," he told the Post.

Meanwhile, a resident identified as Rustini, 29, said that her
two-month-old baby died eight days ago because of lung problems.

"His name was Livo. He had a cough and respiratory problems. A
specialist said that he had pneumonia," Rustini, who stays in the
upper story of a slaughter house told the Post just before her
blood was taken.

Tato said his officials would examine Rustini, her husband
Badru and their children to decide whether the baby died because
of bird flu or not.

"The symptoms are similar to those found in people suffering
from bird flu. However, we can't draw any conclusion yet because
a further laboratory test is needed," he said.

Tato said that officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and
Jakarta Animal Husbandry Agency had also come to check the
chickens and the condition of animals in the neighborhood.

A chicken slaughter house owned by Yusuf is located around 100
meters away from the dead woman's house, while a small slaughter
house belonged to Sarmidi is also located nearby.

Jakarta Animal Husbandry Agency head Adnan Ahmad said they had
taken samples of chicken from seven small chicken farms in the
neighborhood.

He, however, said that they would not be closed down as it was
too early to say whether or not the chickens were infected by
avian influenza.

"We don't know if the virus came from the chickens as we must
wait for the test result," Adnan said.