Two 'bird flu' victims die, three more hospitalized
<p>Two 'bird flu' victims die, three more hospitalized</p><p>Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Two suspected bird flu patients, identified as Riska Hardiyati,
5, and Yessica Triana, 2, died on Wednesday after being treated
at the Sulianti Saroso hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta, and
Cikini Hospital in Central Jakarta respectively since Tuesday
afternoon.</p><p>Riska, who was moved to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital after
being treated at the Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital in East
Jakarta since Sept. 15, was taken by her family to be buried in
their hometown in Cilacap, Central Java.</p><p>The Sulianti Saroso Hospital's deputy director Sardikin Giri
Putro said that unless the health ministry laboratory declared
otherwise, the hospital would state the cause of death as acute
pneumonia.</p><p>"We must wait the results of the laboratory tests by the
Ministry of Health as we have sent Riska's blood sample to them.
Right now, we suspect that she died of acute pneumonia," he said.</p><p>Sardikin said Riska came to the hospital with symptoms of bird
flu, including a high temperature, respiratory problems, acute
pneumonia and a low leukocyte count.</p><p>She was suspected of having been infected by the bird flu
virus after a chicken in her neighborhood died.</p><p>The hospital has treated Riska's remains as being potentially
contaminated by bird flu, and her body was wrapped in plastic
before being placed in a coffin.</p><p>All of Riska's family members, including her mother Maryati
and father Suhardi, wore masks when they came to see her for the
last time.</p><p>The hospital also asked family members to carefully bury her
body and requested the Cilacap health agency to monitor Riska's
burial.</p><p>Another suspected bird flu victim was named as Yessica, who
received treatment at Cikini Hospital after the Sulianti Saroso
Hospital, which only has room for four patients in its emergency
unit, refused to treat her. She died at 5:00 a.m.</p><p>The Cikini hospital said they had sent a sample of her saliva
to the Ministry of Health laboratory.</p><p>Earlier, the government confirmed that four people had died of
avian influenza.</p><p>Last week, the government said that Rini Dini Prasetyaningsih,
37, who died earlier, tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the
bird flu virus. In July, Iwan Siswara and his two daughters from
Tangerang, Banten, died of the virus.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Sulianti Saroso Hospital received three new
patients on Wednesday suspected of having been infected with bird
flu.</p><p>DW, 17, was brought by her family, who live in Cijantung, East
Jakarta, to the hospital at 11:00 a.m. after she started coughing
and suffering from respiratory problems and a high temperature.</p><p>Her family said that she had developed the symptoms after 19
of their chickens and four songbirds died recently.</p><p>At 11:30 a.m., another suspected bird flu patient from Bekasi,
West Java, identified as JM, 9, was brought to the hospital. JM
recently visited Ragunan zoo, which has been closed by the
government since Monday after 19 of its captive birds tested
positive for avian flu.</p><p>Later at 3:30 p.m., Wed, 18, who was running a high
temperature, was taken to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital from the
Pondok Kopi Islamic Hospital in East Jakarta.</p><p>With the three new patients, the Sulianti Saroso Hospital is
now treating nine patients, with the others being WL, 3, F, 9, R,
3, AS, 28, an employee of Ragunan zoo, AM, 39, a street vendor at
the zoo and MG, 7.</p>
5, and Yessica Triana, 2, died on Wednesday after being treated
at the Sulianti Saroso hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta, and
Cikini Hospital in Central Jakarta respectively since Tuesday
afternoon.</p><p>Riska, who was moved to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital after
being treated at the Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital in East
Jakarta since Sept. 15, was taken by her family to be buried in
their hometown in Cilacap, Central Java.</p><p>The Sulianti Saroso Hospital's deputy director Sardikin Giri
Putro said that unless the health ministry laboratory declared
otherwise, the hospital would state the cause of death as acute
pneumonia.</p><p>"We must wait the results of the laboratory tests by the
Ministry of Health as we have sent Riska's blood sample to them.
Right now, we suspect that she died of acute pneumonia," he said.</p><p>Sardikin said Riska came to the hospital with symptoms of bird
flu, including a high temperature, respiratory problems, acute
pneumonia and a low leukocyte count.</p><p>She was suspected of having been infected by the bird flu
virus after a chicken in her neighborhood died.</p><p>The hospital has treated Riska's remains as being potentially
contaminated by bird flu, and her body was wrapped in plastic
before being placed in a coffin.</p><p>All of Riska's family members, including her mother Maryati
and father Suhardi, wore masks when they came to see her for the
last time.</p><p>The hospital also asked family members to carefully bury her
body and requested the Cilacap health agency to monitor Riska's
burial.</p><p>Another suspected bird flu victim was named as Yessica, who
received treatment at Cikini Hospital after the Sulianti Saroso
Hospital, which only has room for four patients in its emergency
unit, refused to treat her. She died at 5:00 a.m.</p><p>The Cikini hospital said they had sent a sample of her saliva
to the Ministry of Health laboratory.</p><p>Earlier, the government confirmed that four people had died of
avian influenza.</p><p>Last week, the government said that Rini Dini Prasetyaningsih,
37, who died earlier, tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the
bird flu virus. In July, Iwan Siswara and his two daughters from
Tangerang, Banten, died of the virus.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Sulianti Saroso Hospital received three new
patients on Wednesday suspected of having been infected with bird
flu.</p><p>DW, 17, was brought by her family, who live in Cijantung, East
Jakarta, to the hospital at 11:00 a.m. after she started coughing
and suffering from respiratory problems and a high temperature.</p><p>Her family said that she had developed the symptoms after 19
of their chickens and four songbirds died recently.</p><p>At 11:30 a.m., another suspected bird flu patient from Bekasi,
West Java, identified as JM, 9, was brought to the hospital. JM
recently visited Ragunan zoo, which has been closed by the
government since Monday after 19 of its captive birds tested
positive for avian flu.</p><p>Later at 3:30 p.m., Wed, 18, who was running a high
temperature, was taken to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital from the
Pondok Kopi Islamic Hospital in East Jakarta.</p><p>With the three new patients, the Sulianti Saroso Hospital is
now treating nine patients, with the others being WL, 3, F, 9, R,
3, AS, 28, an employee of Ragunan zoo, AM, 39, a street vendor at
the zoo and MG, 7.</p>