More human deaths from avian flu
Avian flu is slowly making its way into the human population; Indonesia reported two more death, bringing Indonesia’s H5N1 total death to 115; China reports three more deaths, bringing that country’s total to 22
More bad news on the avian flu front:
Indonesia
Two Indonesians living close to the capital Jakarta have died of bird flu, the health ministry said, bringing the country’s death toll from the disease to 115. AFP reports that a 5-year-old girl from Bekasi east of Jakarta died in January, while a 29-year-old woman from Tangerang, west of Jakarta, died in December last year, the health ministry said on its website. The girl from Bekasi got sick after her parents had bought a chicken in a market. “The cat died after it ate the chicken they bought,” the statement said.
The 29-year-old fell ill after visiting a market close to her house, the statement said, without elaborating. Samples from the two women tested positive in two local laboratories, it said.
Indonesia, which has stopped updating bird flu deaths immediately after they occur, has the highest toll from the disease of any nation. Including the latest two deaths, Indonesia has had 115 deaths confirmed from the deadly H5N1 virus, according to data compiled since 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although bird flu remains an animal disease, experts fear that the virus might mutate into a form easily passed from human to human, sparking a pandemic in which case millions could die.
China
The Ministry of Health in China has reported three new cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the first case is a 27-year old female from Jinan City, Shandong Province. She developed symptoms on 5 January, was hospitalized, and died on 17 January. The source of her infection is presently under investigation.
The second case is a 2-year old female from Luliang City, Shanxi Province. She developed symptoms on 7 January, was hospitalized, and is in a critical condition. The source of her infection is presently under investigation.
The third case is a 16-year old male from Huaihua City, Hunan Province. He developed symptoms on 8 January, was hospitalized on 16 January, and is in a critical condition. The case had exposure to sick and dead poultry.
All three cases were confirmed by the national laboratory. All contacts have been placed under medical observation and remain healthy to date.
Of the 34 cases confirmed to date in China, 22 have been fatal.
