Indonesia bird flu death toll rises to 14
The Star, 22 Jan 2006

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s confirmed death toll from the bird flu virus rose to 14 yesterday, while three patients suspected of carrying the virus were being treated in hospital, health officials said.

Two siblings from West Java died last week and tests by a World Health Organization-accredited laboratory showed they were infected with the H5N1 strain, health ministry official Hariyadi Wibisono said.

“The results from Hong Kong arrived earlier today (Saturday) and confirmed that the two had died of bird flu”, he said.

Hariyadi said the pair, aged four and 13, were residents of Indramayu --- site of the fifth cluster case in Indonesia --- and were in contact with dead chickens near their home. Their 15-year-old sister tested negative to initial tests but these were being repeated, an official said last week.

Cases are tested locally and positive results are sent to Hong Kong for formal verification.

The teenager and her 43-year-old father, also suspected of carrying the virus, had been moved from West Java to Sulianto Saroso hospital here, Hariyadi said.

He said they were stable and “we are trying to make sure that their condition will not worsen”.

Another health official, Hadi Yusuf, said that an 11-year-old girl also from Indramayu was being treated for suspected bird flu in Bandung. She lived near the four-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl who died.

“The new patient had also been in contact with dead fowl near her house”, Hadi said, adding that local officials were testing samples taken from the stricken girl. --- AFP.