5 more people died from H5N1 in Indonesia

The number of deaths from H5N1 in Indonesia has reached 30 people (Photo: BBC)

It is not yet known exactly which group of people is infected by the disease, which is very important. So far, testing of other villagers, including the victim's friends and neighbors, has shown that the virus does not spread further.

However, a spokesman for the World Health Organization told the BBC that whenever there was a group of people infected, it would raise concerns about the possibility of virus passing from person to person.

In the latest cases in Indonesia, patients are interrelated, although from three different households in the same village, free-range poultry grazing.

So far, tests on local poultry do not show signs of H5N1 virus. However, these cases raise bigger questions about how Indonesia copes with bird flu.

Indonesia is a country with a large flock of poultry, both industrial and individual farming. Most cases of infection have so far been with small-scale farmers - usually chickens raised in home gardens or roaming freely. The spread of bird flu to remote places in the Indonesian archipelago makes it very difficult to follow.

A spokesman for the World Health Organization in Indonesia said the country has made progress since it discovered deaths in the first person because of the H5N1 virus.

More medical staff have been trained to identify and treat cases of bird flu, and hospital facilities have also improved. However, a spokesman for WHO said as long as the virus is still spreading in poultry, it will threaten human health .