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| Southeast Asia |
| Bird flu kills 3 in Indonesia |
| 2005-07-15 |
| THE deaths of three people in one family from suspected bird flu has prompted fears of the first human-to-human transmission of the deadly virus in Indonesia. If confirmed, the deaths of a father and two young daughters in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, would be the first from avian influenza in the world's fourth most populous nation. "We suspect (the deaths) were caused by bird flu," Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said today. She said the first girl died several days ago and was already buried, but tests on the other girl and the father had been conducted. "The second test showed there are signs this may be caused by avian influenza," Supari said. She said authorities were concerned about possible human-to-human transmission as there was no evidence of contact with poultry. "The first test showed negative for the H5N1 virus, then we conducted a second test, which showed signs of the H5N1 virus," said Supari. She said more samples were being sent to a laboratory in Hong Kong for testing and results should be known within a week. Authorities have taken blood samples of 315 people who had contact with the family. The mother of the two girls, aged one year and eight years old, was among those under observation, but so far she appeared healthy. Last month, Indonesia reported its first human case in a poultry worker, but the man did not develop symptoms and is healthy. Bird flu has killed 40 people in Vietnam -- half of them since the H5N1 virus returned in December, state-run media said yesterday. Avian influenza, which arrived in Asia in late 2003, has also killed 12 Thais and four Cambodians. Millions of fowl have been slaughtered across the region in efforts to stamp out the virus. |
| Posted by:Spavirt Pheng6042 |
| #2 I'm getting started on my pandemic preparations. Already got Tamiflu doses for myself and my family. The family doctor didn't blink when my wife asked for the prescription. I'm just praying I never have to use it. |
| Posted by: Leigh 2005-07-15 12:27 |
| #1 The significance of this, is that cross border transmission (of H5N1) is a/the pandemic red flag. I follow these things closely and a family travelling to HK and India both of which are not reporting current H5N1 human transmission and then becoming infected means its prevalent one in one of those places. The chances they acquired this in Indonesia are minimal. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-07-15 07:58 |