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	va1-sg19016.securesites.net

	version=3.1.8



AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (133) - INDONESIA

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A 21-year-old Indonesian man from West Jakarta has died of bird flu, 

taking the death toll from the virus to 86, a Health Ministry 

official said on Monday [1 Oct 2007]. Experts are still investigating 

how the man contracted the virus, which is most commonly spread to 

humans through contact with sick fowl, Tini Suryanti, spokesman of 

the Jakarta health office, told Reuters. "We don't know how he could 

have come in contact with sick chickens, since backyard poultry has 

long been banned by the city government," Suryanti said.



The victim, who died in hospital on Sunday [30 Sep 2007], fell ill on 

18 Sep 2007 but was only hospitalized a week later, the bird flu 

centre's Joko Suyono told Reuters. "He was brought too late to the 

hospital. He was already suffering from pneumonia, and 3 days later 

he died," Suyono said.



Bird flu is endemic in bird populations in nearly all parts of 

Indonesia, where millions of backyard chickens live in close 

proximity to people. The Jakarta government banned backyard poultry 

in February 2007 in a bid to stem a new flare-up of bird flu after 4 

people died in the beginning of the year in the capital.



Indonesia has had 107 confirmed cases from bird flu, of which 86 have 

been fatal, the highest for any country in the world.



--



[The WHO tally of laboratory confirmed cases of H5N1 avian influenza 

the death of the 21-year-old in West Jakarta brings the total to 107 

cases and 86 deaths. The several suspected cases in West Java and Ria 

have not been confirmed so far. - Mod.CP]



Avian influenza, human (130) - Indonesia, WHO 20070910.2994

..............................................cp/msp/mpp