JAKARTA, September 25, 2006 – An integrated government team is at work in South Jakarta, responding to Indonesia’s most recent confirmed case of human avian influenza, a 9-year-old boy who died on September 22.
The team, comprising members from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture Avian Influenza Campaign Management Unit, the Jakarta Husbandry, Fisheries and Marine Agency, as well as the Jakarta Health Agency is working to determine the source of the infection and the appropriate response. The team is also checking for other possible human cases.
District and village leaders are also carrying out a public awareness campaign with local residents to inform them about avian influenza.
The Ministry of Health today confirmed that the 9-year-old boy, a resident of Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, was infected with the H5N1 virus. The boy is known to have had contact with sick poultry living nearby his home. He fell sick on September 13, showing flu-like symptoms such as fever and cough. The boy was first treated at the Sukanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta on September 20. He died two days later, only two hours after he was transferred to Infectious Disease Hospital Sulianti Suroso, one of the country's 44 designated bird flu treatment centers. Testing at the Ministry of Health’s Research and Development Laboratory (Litbangkes) and the NAMRU-2 laboratory confirmed the H5N1 virus.
This case is the 67th confirmed human H5N1 case in Indonesia, and the 51st fatality.
Komnas FBPI will coordinate the actions taken by the local and government agencies in following up this case
There are steps every Indonesian can take to reduce the risk of contracting the H5N1 virus:
- Do not touch sick or dying birds; if you do, immediately wash your hands and report to local authorities.
- Wash your hands and utensils with soap and water before you eat or cook. Cook all poultry and eggs well.
- Separate your birds and separate all new flocks for two weeks.
- Go immediately to a health clinic if you have a fever with flu-like symptoms and have had contact with bird
