On November 5, Indonesian officials reported that a 19-year-old girl has died from avian influenza, bringing the total number of deaths due to bird flu in Indonesia to 5. Meanwhile, an 8-year-old boy from her family has also been hospitalized due to the virus.
Hariadi Wibisono, an official from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, stated that the woman was from Tangerang, a town located in the outskirts of Jakarta. She is believed to have contracted the avian influenza virus from a deceased infected chicken belonging to her neighbor.
Wibisono mentioned that a laboratory in Hong Kong confirmed that both the woman and the 8-year-old boy were infected with the avian influenza virus. It is still unclear how the boy became infected.
Several new cases of bird flu among chickens have also been reported in Vietnam and China this week.
Concerns about a potential avian influenza pandemic affecting humans are increasing globally. The World Bank (WB) has announced it is finalizing a plan to transfer $500 million to assist poorer countries in combating this disease.
Avian influenza first emerged in Southeast Asia in 2003, later spreading to European countries such as Turkey, Romania, and Croatia, resulting in the death of millions of poultry in Asia. Millions more were culled to prevent the spread of the pandemic, leading to at least 60 human fatalities.
TUONG VY (According to AP, BBC)
