Bird flu concern in Indonesia

Indonesian Health Minister talks to a hospitalized person (Photo: AP)

The group is in Karo district in North Sumatra province, where seven members of a family died from the H5N1 virus in May. This year, Indonesia is the country with the most bird flu deaths.

An official of the Ministry of Health, Runizar Ruesin, said experts are still awaiting test results.

Experts fear the virus could be transformed into human-to-human transmission, causing a major epidemic. Indonesia has been criticized for not taking tougher actions.

WHO says the spread of human-to-human transmission has occurred in May, but stressed that it does not mark a major change in the spread of the disease.

Indonesia had a 42nd person who died of the flu in late July, equal to the number of deaths in Vietnam.

But while Vietnam was praised for its disease control, the Indonesian government was criticized because it did not want to conduct the destruction of many poultry in diseased areas.

The country is also criticized that many Indonesians are not aware of the risk of living near poultry. Globally, more than 130 people have died from bird flu since the end of 2003. Most deaths have occurred in East Asia, but the virus has also spread to Europe, Africa, Central and South Asia.