Bird Flu: another two deaths in Indonesia, fear of contamination
The death toll since New Years rises to 4: fear that contamination is widespread returns.
Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Another two women have died in Indonesia from Bird Flu. Four people have now died since the beginning of the year and other cases have been reported. Fears that the disease is spreading returns.
Muhammad Nadirin of the health ministry's bird flu information centre confirmed that A 27-year-old woman from south Jakarta died after entering Persahabatan Hospital in the capital on Thursday for treatment. A week before she had been in contact with poultry.
The second death was of a 22-year-old woman from Tangerang west of Jakarta, who died in the early hours of this morning, bringing to a total of 61 the people who have died of Bird Flu in Indonesia since 2003 and making it the worst hit state in the world by the virus.
An 18-year-old man from Serpong (western Java) being treated in hospital was confirmed to have bird flu after his mother died of the disease on Thursday. Joko Suyono, official at the bird flu information centre, said that it was not clear whether he had been in contact with sick birds. The boy’s father is currently under observation.
In a matter of days 4 people have fallen ill to the virus two members of the same family. Maximum attention is being paid to possible human to human transmission, following May 2006 when seven people from the same family in Karo (central Sumatra) died from the virus
Experts say that the number of certified cases that have come to light in such a short time frame confirm that the virus is endemic in a least half of the country’s 33 provinces. Tens of thousands of fowl live in back yard pens, not only in the countryside but also in city suburbs, in close contact with people. The authorities are inviting the public to avail of public butchers to kill the poultry (there are 700 in Jakarta alone), but the population persists in its preference to butcher the fowl at home.
Indonesian authorities however appear optimistic. Aburizal Bakrie, Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare emphasized that there would be no change in the current measures against bird flu. In December the government announced an increase in public funding in prevention measures above all the vaccination of fowl, to 126.5 million US dollars compared to 91 million in 2006. (PB)
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