The situation of avian influenza infection in humans in Indonesia is becoming increasingly complex, following the recent death of a suspected case.
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Chicken market in Jakarta, Indonesia |
The victim was a 39-year-old man who died after being treated for one day at Sulianti Saroso Hospital in Jakarta, the primary avian influenza treatment center in Indonesia. The patient had a history of contact with both live and dead chickens. Health officials are awaiting test results to confirm the cause of death; if it is indeed H5N1, this would mark the 12th victim in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the test results for another 48-year-old man from Java Island, who died last week, turned out to be negative for avian influenza, despite presenting symptoms of the disease. The cause of his illness may be attributed to another common influenza virus.
Scientists warn that continued “interaction” between humans and poultry could lead to the emergence of a mutated virus that is easily transmissible from person to person, potentially triggering a pandemic that could result in millions of deaths. Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, has previously faced allegations of concealing disease outbreak information. Most victims here reside in densely populated areas and many families are “close to” poultry.
In Europe, Turkey has recently reported that five suspected cases tested negative for avian influenza. Among these cases was a child who died on Sunday. Although it has been confirmed that the cause of death is not avian influenza, the exact reason remains unknown. Three other family members also fell ill.
Mỹ Linh (according to AFP)
