July 22, 2005

Indonesia halts poultry import from 15 countries
 

In an effort to prevent the spread of the bird flu, the Indonesia has decided to suspend poultry import from 15 countries.

Indonesia confirmed on Jul 20 that a 38-year-old man is the nation's first human victim to the pathogenic the bird flu, H5N1.

According to a WHO, the Indonesian Ministry of Health report indicated that the man's two daughters-one age eight and another age one-died of "severe pneumonia illness compatible with H5N1 infection", though laboratory confirmation is not yet available.

Samples from the 38-year-old tested positive for the H5N1 virus by the WHO H5 reference laboratories at the Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong, and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta USA.

Samples from the two children are undergoing testing.