[Kabar-indonesia] Bird flu claims 40th human victim in Indonesia

[Joyo at aol.com]

also: U.S. Embassy Jakarta Warden Message

Bird flu claims 40th human victim in Indonesia

By Telly Nathalia

JAKARTA, July 3 (Reuters) - A World Health
Organisation laboratory test has confirmed a
5-year-old Indonesian boy who died last month was
infected with bird flu, a health ministry official
said on Monday.

His death takes the total number of confirmed bird flu
fatalities in the country to 40.

The victim died on June 16 in Tulungagung in East Java
province after being admitted to hospital on June 8, I
Nyoman Kandun, director general for communicable
disease control at the health ministry, told Reuters.

The infection was confirmed to be from the H5N1 avian
virus by a WHO laboratory in Hong Kong, he said.

An official at the health ministry's bird flu centre
who declined to be identified said: "There was a dead
chicken near his house."

The chicken cage was 15 metres (49 ft) from the boy's
home, the official added.

Indonesia has seen a steady rise in human bird flu
infections and deaths since its first known outbreak
of H5N1 in poultry in late 2003, and has registered
more deaths this year than any other country.

Indonesia has 220 million people and an estimated 1.2
billion chickens, some 30 percent of them in the yards
of homes in both rural and urban areas.

The bird flu virus is endemic in poultry in nearly all
of the 33 provinces in Indonesia, a country of 17,000
islands sprawling across some 5,000 km (3,100 miles).

Despite the climbing death toll, the government has
resisted mass culling of birds, saying it is too
costly and impractical.

Vaccination has been preferred to culling, which has
been done only sporadically at selective farms and
their immediate surroundings.

Bird flu remains essentially an animal disease but
many countries around the world are on alert over
fears it may mutate into a disease that could pass
easily among people and trigger a pandemic, killing
millions.

Indonesia drew international attention in May when the
virus killed members of a single family in North
Sumatra. Experts said there could have been limited
human-to-human transmission in this cluster case.

But they stressed genetic analyses of the virus have
not shown all of the traits that are known so far to
allow it to spread easily among people.

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U.S. Embassy Jakarta  
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya 
Warden Message 
July 3, 2006

The US Embassy recognizes that US citizen residing in
Indonesia and US businesses with operations are
concerned with the news reports regarding clusters of
human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus
infection in North Sumatra and East Java provinces.
While cases of H5N1 virus infection of humans remain
extremely rare, the Embassy is providing the following
information to help U.S. citizens make informed
decisions concerning the health of their families and
employees. 

Avian influenza A (H5N1) is endemic among poultry in
Indonesia and poultry outbreaks have been reported in
27 of Indonesia's 33 provinces. As of late June 2006,
Indonesian authorities have reported 51 confirmed
human H5N1 cases with 39 deaths caused by H5N1 virus
infection since June 2005; of these cases, 34 cases
and 28 deaths have occurred in 2006.

Indonesian health authorities, assisted by experts
from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World
Health Organization (WHO) reference laboratories, have
conducted genetic analyses of the H5N1 viruses
isolated from cases in Indonesia, including family
clusters, and have not found any significant changes
that would make H5N1 viruses more easily transmitted
among humans. The WHO concluded that limited,
non-sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus
most likely occurred between members of a family in
North Sumatra in May. This cluster follows a few other
clusters that have occurred in Indonesia and other
countries. However, there is no evidence of any
widespread, efficient, or sustained human-to-human
transmission of H5N1 virus in Indonesia or globally. 

The Embassy encourages all Americans traveling to or
living in Indonesia to monitor local news reports
about avian influenza outbreaks and to consult with
their health care providers about prevention of avian
influenza and steps to take in case of possible
exposure to avian influenza. 

It is important to avoid contact with sick or dead
poultry. This is particularly critical for children.
Most human cases of H5N1 have occurred through direct
contact with sick or dead poultry. 

The Embassy further encourages Americans resident in
Indonesia to be vigilant about food preparation and
handling when cooking chicken or eggs and to wash
hands after touching uncooked poultry or poultry
products. Attached to this message is a separate list
of food preparation guidelines in both English and
Indonesian. 

Americans can obtain updated information on avian
influenza, including country specific information
about Indonesia and other Asian countries, from the
websites listed below. Links to these websites, as
well as regularly updated Q's and A's about avian
influenza, are also available on the Embassy's website
at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.

Websites for more information

WHO outbreak updates: http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/
CDC avian 
influenza information:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm CDC information
for businesses: http://www.cdc.gov/business/ HFIS
pandemic influenza information: www.pandemicflu.gov
Pandemic information for businesses:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab4.html Avian Flu
Food Hygiene Tips, October 2005

--------------------

Food Hygiene

1. Separate raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat
foods. Do not use the same chopping board or the same
knife for preparing raw meat and cooked or
ready-to-eat food. 

2. Do not handle either raw or cooked foods without
washing your hands in between. 

3. Do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or
surface it was on before it was cooked. 

4. All foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry
blood, should be cooked thoroughly. Egg yolks should
not be runny or liquid. Because influenza viruses are
destroyed by heat, the cooking temperature for poultry
meat should reach 70°C (158° F). 

5. Wash egg shells in soapy water before handling and
cooking, and wash your hands afterwards. 

6. Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in foods that
will not be cooked. 

7. After handling raw poultry or eggs, wash your hands
and all surfaces and utensils thoroughly with soap and
water. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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