Two more deaths from bird flu confirmed
Two more deaths from bird flu confirmed
Agencies, Jakarta
The Ministry of Health revealed on Monday the results of
laboratory tests confirming that the deaths of an eight-year-old boy
and a 39-year-old man were caused by the H5N1 strain of bird flu
virus.
"Tests conducted by our laboratory showed that both of them
died after having contracted the (avian flu) virus," said
Hariyadi Wibisono, who heads the directorate for the eradication
of animal-borne diseases with the Ministry.
He referred to the two victims as a boy, who died last
Thursday at a private Muslim hospital in Jakarta, and a South
Jakarta resident, who died earlier on Tuesday after being
admitted the previous day to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital in
Sunter, North Jakarta.
Hariyadi, however, said that the World Health Organization-
sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong had yet to confirm the tests.
The ministry had sent samples of the victims' blood to the
Hong Kong laboratory and currently it was awaiting confirmation
as to whether or not the victims died of bird flu, he said.
If confirmed, the two would be the 10th and 11th fatalities
from avian influenza in the country.
The country has had nine deaths from bird flu confirmed by the
Hong Kong laboratory and five cases where patients have survived.
Scientists and experts have warned that although the highly
pathogenic H5N1 strains remain essentially in birds, prolonged
exposure and contact with sick birds could lead to the mutation
of the virus into a form that could be easily passed on by humans
and therefore put entire societies in great danger.
David Nabarro, the U.N. coordinator for bird flu, said there
was no sign of human-to-human transmission in Indonesia. But with
its high density of birds and humans, the Southeast Asian nation
could later turn out to be the source of a pandemic.
"We are very worried it could happen (in Indonesia) ... The
size and complexity of the country make the challenges very, very
large." Nabarro was quoted by AP.
He also urged the government to take immediate measures to
contain the virus from spreading.
"Act as though a pandemic influenza will start tomorrow. Don't
think that we can wait around and not worry that it won't start
for six months or one year. Once it starts it is too late to
prepare," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie
called on all parties in the community to take part in the
massive program to stop the spread of the virus.
"Otherwise, we will witness devastation greater than that
caused by the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome," he
said.
In another development, a suspected bird flu patient, a
resident of Pondok Gede in East Jakarta, was transferred to the
Sulianti Saroso Hospital for further treatment on Monday.
The Sulianti Saroso Hospital is the country's main bird flu
treatment center.
The 44-year-old patient had been hospitalized for five days
at the city-owned Pondok Gede Hajj Hospital.
Spokesman for the Sulianti Saroso hospital Ilham Patu
confirmed the transfer.