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Suspected bird flu cases on rise across the country
 Suspected bird flu cases are being detected in the country at an alarming rate, with more people falling sick in Surakarta in Central Java, Madiun and Malang in East Java and Batam in Riau Islands province.An as-yet unnamed 12-year-old girl suspected of contracting bird flu died Wednesday night after being treated at the Moewardi Hospital in Surakarta. Her body has been sent to her hometown in Boyolali, Central Java, for burial, hospital director Mardiatmo told Antara. Blood tests for the victim have been sent to a Jakarta laboratory for confirmation. Another seriously ill suspected bird flu patient is being treated in isolation at the hospital. "Clinical symptoms, including coughing and a high fever, indicate that he is bird flu-positive. The patient also used to live near large-scale quail breeding centers," Tri Lastiti, the deputy director of the hospital, told The Jakarta Post. The 31-year-old man, identified as Daryoto, was believed to have been infected by the carcasses of dead birds, which had been dumped in the area during the past month. "Thousands of quails died every day and their remains were just thrown away into a nearby river," Nanik, Daryoto's wife, said. Central Java Governor Mardiyanto said earlier the provincial administration would launch a large-scale poultry cull of infected birds. The culls would occur in five of the province's 35 regencies -- Karanganyar, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Sragen and Klaten. Mardiyanto ordered people to be on the alert for the virus and immediately report any suspected bird flu outbreaks among poultry to their local animal husbandry office. "If people see scores of chickens dying, they should report this to the nearest office. Animal husbandry and health officials will soon follow up their reports," Mardiyanto said. In Bandung, the number of suspected bird flu patients rose by 11 to 66 as of Wednesday. The latest patient was admitted to the city's Hasan Sadikin Hospital on Wednesday. In Madiun, East Java, the condition of a 12-year-old patient from Singkil village, Ponorogo, who is believed to be infected with the virus, remained serious. "The patient is still in intensive care by our team of doctors, and cannot be visited yet," a Dr. Soedono Hospital spokesman said Thursday. A sample of the patient's blood has been sent to Jakarta for testing and the results would be available within a week, the spokesman said. In Malang, a seven-year-old boy was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Saiful Anwar Hospital with suspected bird flu symptoms. However, Gatoet Ismanoe, a doctor of the hospital, said the boy, who had earlier been treated at the Muhammad Saleh Hospital in Probolinggo, was still under observation to determine his illness. In Batam, the local animal husbandry office sprayed disinfectant at Panglong village in Nongsa district Thursday, after laboratory tests found bird flu in the area's poultry. At least eight chickens were found dead in the area with blue and swollen heads -- recognizable symptoms of the flu. Suspected bird flu cases on rise across the country Wahyoe B. Wardhana and Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Malang/Batam Suspected bird flu cases are being detected in the country at an alarming rate, with more people falling sick in Surakarta in Central Java, Madiun and Malang in East Java and Batam in Riau Islands province. An as-yet unnamed 12-year-old girl suspected of contracting bird flu died Wednesday night after being treated at the Moewardi Hospital in Surakarta. Her body has been sent to her hometown in Boyolali, Central Java, for burial, hospital director Mardiatmo told Antara. Blood tests for the victim have been sent to a Jakarta laboratory for confirmation. Another seriously ill suspected bird flu patient is being treated in isolation at the hospital. "Clinical symptoms, including coughing and a high fever, indicate that he is bird flu-positive. The patient also used to live near large-scale quail breeding centers," Tri Lastiti, the deputy director of the hospital, told The Jakarta Post. The 31-year-old man, identified as Daryoto, was believed to have been infected by the carcasses of dead birds, which had been dumped in the area during the past month. "Thousands of quails died every day and their remains were just thrown away into a nearby river," Nanik, Daryoto's wife, said. Central Java Governor Mardiyanto said earlier the provincial administration would launch a large-scale poultry cull of infected birds. The culls would occur in five of the province's 35 regencies -- Karanganyar, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Sragen and Klaten. Mardiyanto ordered people to be on the alert for the virus and immediately report any suspected bird flu outbreaks among poultry to their local animal husbandry office. "If people see scores of chickens dying, they should report this to the nearest office. Animal husbandry and health officials will soon follow up their reports," Mardiyanto said. In Bandung, the number of suspected bird flu patients rose by 11 to 66 as of Wednesday. The latest patient was admitted to the city's Hasan Sadikin Hospital on Wednesday. In Madiun, East Java, the condition of a 12-year-old patient from Singkil village, Ponorogo, who is believed to be infected with the virus, remained serious. "The patient is still in intensive care by our team of doctors, and cannot be visited yet," a Dr. Soedono Hospital spokesman said Thursday. A sample of the patient's blood has been sent to Jakarta for testing and the results would be available within a week, the spokesman said. In Malang, a seven-year-old boy was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Saiful Anwar Hospital with suspected bird flu symptoms. However, Gatoet Ismanoe, a doctor of the hospital, said the boy, who had earlier been treated at the Muhammad Saleh Hospital in Probolinggo, was still under observation to determine his illness. In Batam, the local animal husbandry office sprayed disinfectant at Panglong village in Nongsa district Thursday, after laboratory tests found bird flu in the area's poultry. At least eight chickens were found dead in the area with blue and swollen heads -- recognizable symptoms of the flu. Posted by: Fred 2006-03-03 |
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