Indonesia Confirms 2 More Fatal Human Bird Flu Cases

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 23 Jan 2006 - 19:00 PDT

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Authorities in Indonesia confirm that two people who died had been infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. One was a girl 13, while the other was her 4 year-old brother.

The girl was hospitalised on 12 January, she died two days later. The boy developed symptoms on 8 January, went to hospital on the 14 January and died on the 17 January.

The siblings' father, 43, and a sister, 14, are in hospital with respiratory symptoms. The father was hospitalised on 17 January and the girl on 14 January.

WHO investigators said there had been a large outbreak of bird flu among poultry in the family's neighbourhood.

The members of this family began to get ill three days after birds started to die. The family members who are ill as well as those that died had close contact with sick chickens - they also helped in removing the dead poultry.

Authorities started a huge culling operation in the area last weekend. They say they are monitoring everyone this family had contact with for signs of further bird flu infection.

So far, 19 humans have become infected with bird flu in Indonesia, of which 14 have died.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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