October 25, 2005

Indonesia reports another human death from bird flu

Indonesia has confirmed its fourth human death from bird flu.

Test results from the WHO laboratory in Hong Kong confirmed that a man from Bogor, south of Jakarta, have died of bird flu, said Indonesia health ministry spokesman Muhammad Nadhirin.

Another Health Ministry official Hariadi Wibisono said that the 23-year-old man was hospitalised in late September and died two days later.

The Hong Kong lab test confirmed on Oct 24 that the man had the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, as did a four-year-old boy from neighbouring Sumatra island earlier this month.

The child has since fully recovered.

Indonesia's health ministry added that the two latest cases were believed to have had contact with infected poultry.