Guest guest Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 You can breathe again. http://tinyurl.com/5qkp4m Indonesian villagers test negative for bird flu: health ministry Preventive actions were taken this week by slaughtering and burning some 400 chickens and ducks. -- REUTERS JAKARTA - THIRTEEN people in Indonesia suspected of having bird flu have tested negative for the feared disease, the country's health ministry said on Saturday. Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) arrived Friday in the affected village in North Sumatra to help investigate a possible outbreak after three people died and the 13 were admitted to hospital. 'All specimens collected from suspect cases have given negative results'. 'They are all recovered', I Nyoman Kandun, director general of the ministry's communicable diseases department said on a text message. Officials and residents in Asahan district in North Sumatra province said villagers began showing symptoms of avian flu after a large number of chickens died suddenly last week in Air Batu village. The local husbandry office took preventive action this week by slaughtering and burning some 400 chickens and ducks. The ministry, which has stopped giving regular bird flu updates, announced earlier this week that the human toll from avian influenza in Indonesia had risen to 112 following the recent death of a 19-year-old man. The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 240 people worldwide since late 2003. The virus typically spreads from bird to human 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. -- AFP > > Possible bird flu hot spot. Anyone have any more details on this? > > > http://tinyurl.com/5booy5 > > Bird flu outbreak in Indonesia kills 3 : Officials > AFP > Published: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 > > MEDAN, Indonesia - Three people have died and 13 have been admitted to > hospital with symptoms of bird flu in Indonesia, a nurse treating the > patients said Wednesday. > > Officials and residents in Asahan district of North Sumatra province > said villagers began showing symptoms of avian flu after a large > number of chickens died suddenly last week. > > The nurse at Asahan district's Kisaran hospital said three people had > died after suffering bird flu-like symptoms in Air Batu village. > A worker selects chickens before sending them to the market from a > poultry house in Jakarta Aug. 3. As of Aug. 6, three people have died > and 13 have been admitted to hospital with symptoms of bird flu in > Indonesia. > A worker selects chickens before sending them to the market from a > poultry house in Jakarta Aug. 3. As of Aug. 6, three people have died > and 13 have been admitted to hospital with symptoms of bird flu in > Indonesia. > > " According to residents there, a number of chickens died suddenly last > week followed by several pigeons. Days later, three people died with > the same ailments, " the nurse, na, told AFP. > > Another 13 people had been admitted to the hospital with " high > temperatures and respiratory problems, " she said. > > Two of these - a baby boy and a seven-year-old girl - were transferred > early Wednesday to a bird flu isolation unit at Adam Malik hospital in > the provincial capital of Medan, officials said. > > Adam Malik hospital spokesman Sinar Ginting confirmed that blood > samples from the two children were sent Wednesday to a health ministry > laboratory in Jakarta for analysis. > > " We are now waiting for the result, " he said. > > The father of the baby boy, Slamet Riadi, said a lot of poultry had > died in the village a week ago. His baby developed a high fever and > respiratory problems shortly afterward. > > A spokeswoman for the health ministry could not be reached for comment. > > The ministry, which has stopped giving regular bird flu updates, > announced earlier this week that the human toll from avian influenza > in Indonesia had risen to 112 with the recent death of a 19-year-old man. > > The man was from a town adjoining the capital Jakarta on Java island. > > Indonesia is the country worst-hit by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird > flu, which can be passed from bird to human. > > Experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmissible between > humans and kill millions in a global pandemic. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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