Two More Bird Flu Deaths Reported In Indonesia

Two Indonesians living near the capital Jakarta have died of bird flu, the health ministry said on its website Wednesday.

Separately, both went to a market, fell sick in December with high fever, a cough and breathing difficulties and were sent to hospital, according to a statement on the website.

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Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds but can infect humans also.

A five-year-old girl named Nad from Bekasi district east of Jakarta died on January 2, and a 29-year-old woman named Sut from Tangerang district west of Jakarta died on December 16, it added.

Laboratory tests showed that both were "positive for bird flu", it stated.

"Before she fell sick, Nad was taken by her parents to the market to buy chicken. Her cat died after eating the chicken they bought," the website said.

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"Before she fell sick, Sut went to a market near her house," it added.

The latest cases pushed Indonesia's death toll from bird flu to 115, after the World Health Organisation in December put the figure at 113.

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According to the WHO, the 113th victim was a two-year-old girl who contracted the deadly strain of the virus on November 18. She was hospitalised on November 26 and died three days later.

Indonesia has been the country hardest hit by bird flu, accounting for nearly half of the disease's worldwide fatalities.

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The H5N1 virus typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, with the potential to kill millions in a pandemic.

Source-AFP
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