INDONESIA: Bird flu deaths raise red flags

JAKARTA, 26 January 2012 (IRIN) – Two recent deaths from bird flu in Indonesia highlight the need for continued vigilance against a possible resurgence of the deadly virus, an official and health expert warned.

On 16 January, a five-year-old girl from northern Jakarta died after being tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus. She was a relative of a 24-year-old man who died on 7 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, adding that the two had contact with the same pigeons in their neighbourhood.

According to WHO, the latest fatalities brought the death toll from avian influenza in the country to 152, out of 184 confirmed cases since 2006.

The Health Ministry’s director-general of disease control and environmental health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said there was no evidence that human-to-human transmission was involved in the latest case.

“As long as there are still birds carrying the virus, there will be cases of bird flu in humans from time to time,” Aditama told IRIN.

Of 60 bird flu cases detected last year in Indonesia, 11 were fatal, Aditama said.

“We have to continue to maintain our vigilance,” Aditama said. “The Indonesian government is taking the threat of bird flu seriously and is taking measures like countries in other parts of the world.”