Indonesian girl dies of suspected bird flu <!-- END HEADLINE --><!-- BEGIN STORY BODY -->26 minutes ago
A suspected bird flu victim who is from the same area as Indonesia's latest confirmed case died in hospital, a health official said.
The nine-year-old girl, Ai Siti Aminah, was from Cikelet in West Java's Garut district, said Wijayanti, a doctor from Garut's main hospital. It is the same area as a 17-year-old confirmed two days ago as infected with H5N1.
Wijayanti told AFP that the girl, who was from a different village to the teenager, was admitted to hospital on Monday afternoon with pneumonia.
"She was immediately taken to the isolation unit, had samples taken and then received treatment but her condition was already failing at the time. She remained unconscious until her death today," she said.
Senior health ministry official Nyoman Kandun told AFP that laboratories in Jakarta had not released results of her tests yet.
Positive tests must be returned at two separate laboratories in Jakarta before being listed by the World Health Organisation as a confirmed case.
Seventeen-year-old Umar Aup was listed as Indonesia's 57th confirmed case of H5N1 on Sunday. Forty-four of those died, making the nation the world's worst-hit.
Another health official said Tuesday that a cousin of Aup had died showing symptoms of the virus more than a week ago.
Iman Firmanulah, the head of the contagious disease section of Garut's health office, told AFP that Aup's cousin Misbah died on August 6 exhibiting bird flu-like symptoms.
But 20-year-old Misbah was buried before samples were taken, he said.
"We cannot positively say that he died of avian influenza but he showed symptoms that were similar to those of bird flu patients," he said.
The health ministry's Kandun said he was being a considered a "probable positive" case.
Firmanulah also urged Indonesia's health ministry to provide his office and Garut hospital with suitable equipment to treat patients.
"Health minister (Siti Fadilah Supari) has appointed Garut hospital as a designated center for bird flu treatment, but don't just give us difficult tasks -- please also give us proper equipment," he said.
He said Garut hospital lacked ventilation and defibrillation equipment and also needed vehicles for surveillance in isolated areas. It takes four hours by motorcycle to reach Cikelet, he said.
Indonesia reported its first bird flu deaths in July last year and has seen a steady rise in its toll.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/healthfluindonesia&printer=1
A suspected bird flu victim who is from the same area as Indonesia's latest confirmed case died in hospital, a health official said.
The nine-year-old girl, Ai Siti Aminah, was from Cikelet in West Java's Garut district, said Wijayanti, a doctor from Garut's main hospital. It is the same area as a 17-year-old confirmed two days ago as infected with H5N1.
Wijayanti told AFP that the girl, who was from a different village to the teenager, was admitted to hospital on Monday afternoon with pneumonia.
"She was immediately taken to the isolation unit, had samples taken and then received treatment but her condition was already failing at the time. She remained unconscious until her death today," she said.
Senior health ministry official Nyoman Kandun told AFP that laboratories in Jakarta had not released results of her tests yet.
Positive tests must be returned at two separate laboratories in Jakarta before being listed by the World Health Organisation as a confirmed case.
Seventeen-year-old Umar Aup was listed as Indonesia's 57th confirmed case of H5N1 on Sunday. Forty-four of those died, making the nation the world's worst-hit.
Another health official said Tuesday that a cousin of Aup had died showing symptoms of the virus more than a week ago.
Iman Firmanulah, the head of the contagious disease section of Garut's health office, told AFP that Aup's cousin Misbah died on August 6 exhibiting bird flu-like symptoms.
But 20-year-old Misbah was buried before samples were taken, he said.
"We cannot positively say that he died of avian influenza but he showed symptoms that were similar to those of bird flu patients," he said.
The health ministry's Kandun said he was being a considered a "probable positive" case.
Firmanulah also urged Indonesia's health ministry to provide his office and Garut hospital with suitable equipment to treat patients.
"Health minister (Siti Fadilah Supari) has appointed Garut hospital as a designated center for bird flu treatment, but don't just give us difficult tasks -- please also give us proper equipment," he said.
He said Garut hospital lacked ventilation and defibrillation equipment and also needed vehicles for surveillance in isolated areas. It takes four hours by motorcycle to reach Cikelet, he said.
Indonesia reported its first bird flu deaths in July last year and has seen a steady rise in its toll.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/healthfluindonesia&printer=1
