Another Indonesian dies of suspected bird flu
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-14 16:37

A 39-year-old Indonesian man "strongly suspected" of being infected with the deadly bird flu virus has died in hospital, a medical spokesman said in Jakarta.

If confirmed, the man would be the 10th fatality from avian influenza in Indonesia. Five other infections have been confirmed here but the patients have survived.

The latest suspected victim came from South Jakarta and was admitted Monday to the Sulianti Saroso hospital, Indonesia's main bird flu treatment center, but died Tuesday afternoon, hospital spokesman Ilham Patu, told AFP.

He had shown symptoms of carrying the potentially deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, such as high fever and respiratory difficulties and had been moved from a private hospital in South Jakarta.

"He also showed another key symptom of bird flu infection, a rapid lowering of his white blood cell count," Patu said.

He said the patient was "strongly suspected" to have died of bird flu but results of local tests would not be available until Thursday or Friday.

Health authorities here test suspected cases locally before sending positive results to testing facilities overseen by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Hong Kong for verification.

The victim was one of six people being treated as suspected bird flu patients at the hospital.

Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari on Tuesday announced that the WHO had confirmed the country's ninth fatal avian flu casualty, a 35-year-old man from West Jakarta who had died on November 19.

Indonesia's health system, already overstretched by last year's deadly tsunami and a reemergence of polio, has been under strain preparing for a potential major outbreak of avian influenza.

The bird flu virus has killed more than 70 people in Asia since 2003.

Scientists warn that continued contact between infected birds and humans may eventually result in the virus mutating into a form that could be easily passed on by humans, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

Indonesia -- which was accused of covering up initial outbreaks of bird flu -- has pledged a year-long fight against the virus, which is to include house-to-house checks and culls.