Six suspected bird flu patients test negative; to be discharge
Six suspected bird flu patients test negative; to be discharge
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Doctors at the Sulianti Saroso hospital for infectious diseases
revealed on Sunday that they will discharge six patients they had
previously suspected had bird flu on Monday.
They confirmed that the six had tested negative for the deadly
virus.
Hospital spokesman Ilham Patu added that the tests were
conducted at the laboratory of the Directorate General of
Communicable Diseases Prevention at the Ministry of Health.
The hospital sent blood samples of 15 patients, but only the
results of six of the suspected bird flu cases have been
received.
"None of the six have the bird flu virus. They were suffering
from other ailments like typhoid, respiratory problems, and
common influenza," Ilham was quoted as saying by Antara.
According to Ilham, the six no longer had the symptoms of bird
flu such as respiratory problem, cough and high fever,
Ilham said the condition of eight other patients was also
improving.
Only one three-and-a-half-year-old patient was still receiving
intensive treatment. The child still has a high fever.
The new patient was transferred from Pasar Rebo hospital in
East Jakarta where he was hospitalized with a high fever on Oct.
7.
Ilham said that according to relatives, the child was seen
playing with a dead chicken belonging to a neighbor before he got
the fever.
Earlier on Wednesday, a 20-month-old infant, who was suspected
to have contracted avian influenza, died of acute pneumonia after
being treated for three days at the Sulianti Saroso hospital.
The boy was taken on Oct. 2 by his family, who live in Semper,
North Jakarta, to the hospital with a high temperature and
respiratory problems.
The boy was moved to the intensive care unit on Oct. 3, but
his condition worsened. He died at 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
So far, three confirmed bird flu patients have died at the
Sulianti Saroso hospital since August, not including the boy, who
was not confirmed to have bird flu.