JAKARTA, September 26, 2006 – The Health Ministry confirmed today that a 21-year-old woman who lives in Tulung Agung, East Java, has tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The woman is the sister of an 11-year-old boy who died of H5N1 influenza on September 18, also in Tulung Agung.
The 21-year-old woman is being treated in dr. Sutomo Hospital in Surabaya, East Java.
According to Ministry of Health officials, the two cases in Tulung Agung are the ninth confirmed "cluster" of human H5N1 influenza cases in Indonesia. Clusters are cases closely related in time and place. All of Indonesia's human H5N1 clusters have been within family units.
The Health Ministry's investigation shows that the 21-year-old woman had contact with sick or dead chickens. Local officials reported that last month, some 25 chickens died with unclear reasons in the area where she lives.
These new cases warn us that we should do more to increase public awareness on how to protect ourselves from the deadly virus. We all have to unite in combating bird flu," said Bayu Krisnamurthi, chief executive officer of the National Commission on Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness (Komnas FBPI).
Komnas FBPI is sending out a team to Tulung Agung to oversee disease surveillance and control measures to contain the spread of the virus the area where the patients live.
Prior to today's announcement, the Agriculture Ministry, in cooperation with the local health and husbandry agencies, had culled about 510 chickens in Tulung Agung as rapid response action to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, yesterday the Health Ministry also announced that a 20-year-old man who was being treated for infection with the H5N1 virus has died. The man was being treated in Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Java. The man's 15-year-old sister, who is being treated at the same hospital, has tested negative for the H5N1 virus. Testing at the Health Ministry's National Research and Development laboratory (Litbangkes) revealed that the girl is not infected with H5N1 and is suffering common influenza. A third sibling from the same family, a 24-year old man, died on Sunday, but the cause of his death is uncertain.
Depopulation of poultry has taken place at the 20-year-old Bandung man's residential area. The local husbandry agency has also taken specimens from dogs and ducks living in the man's home to be tested at a West Java Veterinary Laboratory. Disinfectant spray is also being used around the neighborhood. A local public awareness campaign about the need to increase bio-security levels in the home is also underway.
In Jakarta, the Agriculture Ministry and the Jakarta Husbandry, Fisheries and Marine Agency earlier this week culled about 400 chickens living in a housing complex in Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, where a 9-year-old boy died of bird flu on September 22. Local residents also burned chicken coops and took measures to increase bio-security levels in their areas.
The health ministry and the local health agencies are examining specimens taken from people who had close contact with the 9-year-old boy. One of the close contacts, a 24 year-old-man, has tested negative for the H5N1 virus. Results for the other close contacts are pending.
In Deli Serdang Regency in North Sumatra, test results are still pending for five suspect cases, all of whom come from the same family. Two members of the family show improvement in their condition.
Poultry in two local districts in Deli Serdang Regency have tested positive for H5N1. Officials from the local husbandry and health agencies have carried out culling of over 12,000 chickens within radius of one kilometer.
The Agriculture Ministry also reported on Thursday that some chickens from Tuban, East Java, have tested positive for H5N1. A quick response team, consisting of Agriculture Ministry officials and local husbandry officials are currently carrying out depopulation within one kilometer of the area where the sick birds were detected. Local health officials are also investigating for possible human infections.
H5N1 is a highly pathogenic virus that has killed millions of poultry in 30 of the country's 33 provinces. As of Friday, September 29, 2006, Indonesia has recorded 52 human fatalities out of the 69 confirmed human H5N1 cases.
There are steps that every Indonesian can take to lower 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
