Indonesia: 2 more suspected deaths from bird flu

Indonesian Ministry of Health officials today said a teenager and a 22-year-old woman in the country were both suspected of being infected with bird flu. Preliminary test results show that both are positive for the H5N1 virus.

If officially confirmed, this will be the 68th bird flu death in Indonesia.

One of the victims was a 15-year-old boy from Indramayu (West Java), who died on March 25 after a period of illness and was treated at various hospitals. The other was a woman from Palembang (southeast Sumatra), who passed away on March 25. According to Antara news agency, this person does not contact poultry but has at least 10 domestic cats.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency recommends isolating cats from areas affected by bird flu because they can infect and spread the disease.

According to Muhammad Nadirin, working at the Indonesian Ministry of Health's avian influenza center, in addition to the above two deaths, the initial test results in a 39-year-old woman from Mojokerto (East Java) also showed positive. with H5N1 virus. The patient is currently being treated at Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya City.

Chicken is being brought to the market for sale in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 26 (Photo: Reuters)

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