News - Indonesia says 2 more avian flu cases confirmed

Indonesia's human death toll from H5N1 avian influenza rose to 11 today with the report that tests have confirmed that a man and a boy who died last week had the virus.

Samples from a 39-year-old man and an 8-year-old boy tested positive at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Hariyadi Wibisono of the Indonesian health ministry, as quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) today. The CDC tests confirmed earlier test results in Indonesia.

Their cases are the 15th and 16th reported as confirmed in Indonesia. The World Health Organization (WHO) had not yet included the cases in its online tally at this writing. The WHO's overall count currently stands at 139 cases with 71 deaths in the past 2 years.

The two victims lived in different sections of Jakarta, according to a Bloomberg News report today. The man died Dec 13, and the boy died Dec 15, according to AFP.

The Bloomberg report said the man had had no known contact with sick birds before he died, while the boy lived not far from a market where pet birds are sold.

The story said community groups, soldiers, and student volunteers began a door-to-door campaign in Jakarta today to find and destroy sick birds in houses and backyards.

CIDRAP >> Indonesia says 2 more avian flu cases confirmed