An Indonesian girl died of suspected bird flu

The funeral of 16-year-old victim is suspected of being infected with bird flu.

The suspected case is a 16-year-old girl, who died at a hospital in Jakarta. The victim used to live near a large poultry market. Currently, samples are being sent for further evaluation.

" Based on the symptoms of girls, especially high fever, severe pneumonia and rapid decrease in lymphatic cells in the blood, we suspect that patients are infected with bird flu ," said Ilham Patu, a representative of the Hospital Sulianti Saroso, the victim's treatment site, said. The condition of the girl also worsened very quickly after hospitalization on Sunday. If the culprit is H5N1, then it is Indonesia's 6th bird flu victim.

The girl used to live in a residential area east of Jakarta, near a large poultry market. Her parents said that some poultry were raised in the house, but none had died. Doctors have also collected blood and respiratory fluid samples from relatives and neighbors who have had direct contact with the victim. People also took samples of dozens of poultry in two families where the victims visited.

So far, Indonesia has more than 12 suspected cases of bird flu, of which only 5 have been certified. 4 other people with the virus recovered or are still on treatment.

Before that, another 19-year-old girl who lived in the west of the capital also passed away. A neighbor of the victim said 11 chickens of the family died of unknown causes in early October and were dumped in a pile of garbage near the pond where children often came to play. The 8-year-old brother of the victim who used to play in the area is also infected with H5N1 but still lives.

My Linh ( according to AFP )