Avian flu death prompts investigation

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A woman's death from bird flu a little past midnight Tuesday has prompted a team of health officials to secure her home and surrounding residential area in Kalideres, West Jakarta.

The 24-year-old woman, identified by her initials, DF, died in Cengkareng Hospital, West Jakarta, two weeks after doctors positively diagnosed her with bird flu.

Her death has taken the city's bird flu toll to 24 deaths since the first was recorded July 20, 2005.

The H5N1 virus, the deadliest bird flu strain for humans, has so far killed 94 people and hospitalized around 115 nationally, according to data provided by the Health Ministry.

Indonesia remains top of the list for bird flu cases and deaths globally.

The ministry said it was still trying to determine the exact source of DF's death. Early reports said she may have caught the disease after buying chicken at a nearby market.

The West Jakarta Public Health Sub-agency, in cooperation with the Health Ministry, also sent a team to investigate the source of the disease and to monitor any signs of infection in neighboring residents.

"We have tested 50 people who had been near the victim and thankfully they have all tested negative," sub-agency head Dr. Ariani Murti said.

"We have not seen any signs or symptoms from the people in her immediate area."

Ariani said Kalideres is prone to bird flu because it was "very dirty" and some residents still kept chickens around their houses despite the prohibition by the city administration.

Earlier this year, a boy from the same area also died after becoming infected with bird flu.

He was one of six people living in the neighborhood who contracted bird flu.

Ariani said health services would continue to monitor Kalideres for the rest of the week.

She said her office needed much support from the public and residents to help prevent further infections.

"The people of Kalideres need to, please, stop keeping poultry in their homes, otherwise these cases will keep on occurring," she said.

The second most recent death from bird flu was a businessman identified by initials MS.

On Dec. 2, MS had a fever, acute coughing and respiratory problems. Two weeks later he died in RS Persahabatan Jakarta, East Jakarta. (anw)