Man dies of bird flu in Indonesia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Man dies of bird flu in Indonesia*
POSTED: 0348 GMT (1148 HKT), September 28, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A 20-year-old Indonesian man died of bird flu
Thursday, medical authorities said, raising the death toll in the nation
hardest hit by the disease to 52.
The man died in Bandung city in West Java, a densely populated province
where many of the country's cases have occurred, said Dr. Hadi Jusuf.
His brother died Sunday with symptoms of bird flu before samples could
be taken and is listed as a suspect case.
The man's sister, who has also been hospitalized with high fever and
respiratory problems, tested negative for the H5N1 strain of the virus,
said senior Health Ministry official Nyoman Kandun.
Kandun said with only one confirmed case the outbreak could not be
considered a cluster.
Authorities closely monitor clusters of cases for signs that the virus
may have mutated into a form that can easily pass between humans.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 147 people worldwide
since it started ravaging poultry stocks in Asia three years ago,
according to the World Health Organization, which has not yet updated
its toll with the death of the Indonesian man.
At present it is difficult for people to catch bird flu -- with most
infections being linked to close contact with infected birds or their
droppings. But experts fear the virus could mutate, possibly sparking a
global pandemic.