Indonesia Human Cases - May 19 to May 21, 2006

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Indonesia BF - 5/19/06

Re: Indonesia BF - 5/19/06

Indonesia reports more bird flu deaths
Last Updated Fri, 19 May 2006 18:38:03 EDT
CBC News

The World Health Organization has confirmed two more deaths in Indonesia from bird flu, bringing the nation's overall toll from the virus to 32.
Two more deaths attributed to avian flu are reported in Indonesia. (Associated Press)

Health Ministry officials in Jakarta say one of the latest victims is a 10-year-old boy from Sumatra.

The boy is the fifth confirmed death in a cluster of deaths among relatives in the area. The cluster — Indonesia's largest to date — has raised fears of the possibility of human-to-human transmission in the world's fourth most populous nation.

The WHO says "if human-to-human transmission has occurred, it has not been either efficient or sustained."

The second of the latest two victims — a 12-year-old boy — died after being infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus on the outskirts of Jakarta.

"The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus," said the WHO in a statement on its website.

"The case occurred in a 12-year-old boy from Bekasi in East Jakarta. He was hospitalized on 7 May and died on 13 May. An investigation is under way to determine the source of his infection."

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/05/19/nirdflu05192006.html

 

[Theresa42]

Bird Flu Threat Ignored in Indonesia

Bird Flu Threat Ignored in Indonesia

Bird Flu Threat Ignored in Indonesia
Threat of Bird Flu Goes Unnoticed Across Much of Indonesia's Countryside
By NINIEK KARMINI
The Associated Press

MUNTILAN, Indonesia - When chickens began dying at his local market, Darmanto gratefully collected them from vendors, chopping them up and tossing the raw meat to his pet catfish.

He never wore gloves, and remembers smoking a cigarette with a bloody hand as he watched hundreds of fish greedily gobble up the scrawny black carcasses.

The thought of bird flu never crossed Darmanto's mind. It couldn't have. He never heard of it until he himself became ill, hospitalized with a burning 105-degree fever, a racing heart and a tightness in his chest that left him struggling to breathe.

Indonesia with 32 human deaths from the H5N1 virus, the world's second-highest number after Vietnam has come under fire for failing to slow the spread of the virus, which some fear could mutate into a strain that passes from human to human, potentially causing a global pandemic.

Others, like Vietnam, have succeeded thanks largely to strong political will and vaccination campaigns. But Indonesia has so far refused to carry out mass culls of poultry in all infected areas, one of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's most basic containment guidelines, saying it cannot afford to compensate farmers.

Bio-security measures are virtually nonexistent and, as Darmanto's case illustrates, there is a lack of awareness about bird flu in the densely populated countryside, home to hundreds of millions of backyard chickens.

"If I had known about bird flu, I would have done a lot of things differently. I would have taken precautions to protect myself and my family," said the 46-year-old father of two, who does not understand even today how he could get sick from dead chickens or how he survived.

Darmanto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, attributes his good fortune to "traditional herbal medicine, a strong spirit, and the will to live."

Indonesia's cash-strapped government says it is doing all it can to fight bird flu, which has been found in poultry in two-thirds of its 33 provinces. It is confident the sprawling archipelago will be free of the disease within two years.

"We are on a declining curve," Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said recently, vowing to boost chicken vaccination drives and carry out limited culls in areas where humans have died.

But the problems run deep, in part because of radical decentralization introduced after the dictator Suharto was ousted amid massive street protests in 1998.

The government handed control of public services to regional and local authorities in 2001, but their roles were unclear, experts say, funding inadequate and priorities left to the whims of inexperienced officials, mayors and village heads.

That has affected almost every sector in the government, from health, to public information, to agriculture.

"There's no line of command and they're disorientated," said Peter Roeder, an FAO animal health expert working in Indonesia, adding that district veterinary officials seem more concerned with delivering clinical services to farmers, for instance, than controlling trans-boundary animal diseases.

And in the villages, where most people live on less than $1 a day, there are other things to worry about, from getting food on the table to more common illnesses like dengue fever, malaria and cholera.

Though health officers have gone door-to-door in some places, carrying educational brochures about the importance of personal hygiene and a clean living environment, the message often falls on deaf ears.

"We have been raising chickens and ducks from generation to generation without having any problems," said Mohammad Sodat, a rice farmer who owns more than 80 birds.

Adding to the worries of international and local health officials was confirmation this week of one of the world's largest clusters of H5N1 human deaths ever least five in one family living on Sumatra island, according to the World Health Organization.

The multiple infections initially raised fears the virus mutated to a form that passes more easily from human to human. But health officials now say it appears the infected family members had contact with sick poultry.

Darmanto, the man who survived bird flu, knows how lucky he is.

Doctors did many things right, suspecting immediately that he had the H5N1 virus that has killed more than 120 people worldwide and sending his swab and blood samples to laboratories in Jakarta and Hong Kong.

He was transferred Dr. Moewardi Hospital in nearby Solo, one of dozens nationwide equipped to deal with avian influenza.

Though he continued to lose weight 30 pounds in two weeks and X-rays of his lungs showed the rapid spread of the virus, he eventually recovered, thanks in part to the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

But his problems did not end.

When Darmanto returned to Muntilan, his village 260 miles southeast of the capital Jakarta, in December he was hurting financially and eager to resume his job as a tailor.

"My neighbors avoided me," he said. "They didn't want anything to do with me."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1984848

 

[Theresa42]

20 year old bf suspect dies / Also, teacher & student suspected bf patients

20 year old bf suspect dies / Also, teacher & student suspected bf patients

toggletext-ed from Indonesian:

It was other that the Patient Suspect Bird Flu in Surabaya died
May 20, 1006

SURABAYA--MIL: A male patient was approximately 20 years that were expected old (suspect) was infected by bird flu, on Saturday around struck 08.30 WIB, died, after being treated in Budi's Hospital Noble Surabaya since May 9.

"We still could not conclude whether the patient died because suspect bird flu." But was based on the possibility diagnosis headed there (contracted bird flu), said Budi's Hospital public relations Noble Surabaya, Octdy Hendrawan, in Surabaya, on Saturday.

Was based on the diagnosis and signs that apparently, the patient it was suspected contracted bird flu, because of the patient while being treated experienced breathless (pneumonia) and the high fever.

Nevertheless, to confirm whether this diagnosis was positive or negative, the management of Budi's Hospital Noble has sent the example of casualties's blood to Jakarta for the further inspection, he said.

Moreover, in order to anticipates the possibility of the existence of the patient suspect bird flu, the management of Budi's Hospital Noble currently has done the co-ordination Officially the Surabaya Health as well as the regional Public Hospital (RSUD) Dr Soetomo.

With the existence of the casualties then already three patients that it was suspected contracted bird flu that was treated in the hospital in Surabaya. Two patients beforehand were a woman was the citizen's approximately 30 years old Pucang Young Ii Surabaya and AP one of the citizen's Kediri students. [In other words, 2 bf suspects -- Pucang Young Ii Surabaya and her(?) student, A.P.]

The patient of the citizen's woman Pucang Young Ii Surabaya had finally died, after could be treated by RKZ because his condition has been serious enough. While the patient [A.P., I think] from Kediri that is reconciled to RSUD Dr Soetomo, currently still in the intensive maintenance in this hospital.

Resulting from the incident, 11 people were taken the sample of his blood to be checked in the laboratory in Yogyakarta. Two among them the nurse RKZ and close relative of the patient suspect bird flu.

From 11 people had three people that could dikarantina Dinkes Surabaya, because of contracting the sign like bird flu, namely two nurses RKZ and the older brother pengidap suspect bird flu.

However, the latest development only of the sufferer's older brothers suspect bird flu that still was undergoing quarantine.

http://www.mediaindo.co.id/berita.asp?id=100362

 

[HenryN]

Re: Indonesia BF - 5/19/06

Re: Indonesia BF - 5/19/06

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05200601/H5N1_Surabaya_Clusters.html

 

[HenryN]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/20

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/20

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05200602/H5N1_Surabaya_Pandemic.html

 

[Mellie]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

<big><big>Commentary</big></big>

Suspect H5N1 Clusters in Surabaya Indonesia Cluster

Recombinomics Commentary
May 20, 2006

A suspected 20-year male bird flu sufferer who has been treated in Budi Mulia hospital since May 9, died here at 8.3. am on Saturday.

Two patients beforehand were a woman was the citizen's approximately 30 years old Pucang Young Ii Surabaya and AP one of the citizen's Kediri students

The patient of the citizen's woman Pucang Young Ii Surabaya had finally died, after could be treated by RKZ because his condition has been serious enough. While the patient from Kediri that is reconciled to RSUD Dr Soetomo, currently still in the intensive maintenance in this hospital.

one casualty died with the assumption of bird flu. The Lily, the Surabaya citizen, died on Friday last week.

the child the Lily is currently treated in the hospital with the sign similar to bird flu.

The above translations define a new cluster of confirmed or suspect H5N1 bird flu cases in Surabaya. The confirmed case (38F) was describe in the WHO update. She developed symptoms on May 2, was hospitalized on May 7, and died May 11. The above report indicates her child is now hospitalized with bird flu symptoms, consistent with human-to-human transmission within a family.

Another suspect case (20M) died today, but the same hospital has admitted two additional suspect cases, a teacher (30F) who died earlier, and her student (18M) who is in critical condition and on a respirator.

Correction:

The teacher decribed above appears to be another media description of the confirmed fatality (38M) and therefore there is no infected teacher and no relationship between a fatally infected teacher and the H5N1 confirmed student.

The geographical cluster in Surabaya thus has one confirmed and four suspect cases. Two of the suspect cases have died, and the student of one has been hospitalized. Similarly, the child of the confirmed case has also been hospitalized.

Familial clusters in Indonesia have been common. Almost all have a 5-10 day gap between the index case and family member. Recently a seven member cluster in North Sumatra was described. H5N1 has been confirmed in all but the index case, and six of the seven have died, This cluster, the largest to date, has fueled concern about increased efficiency of human-to-human transmission. This cluster may be extended because one of the family members (10M) developed symptoms later than the other family member, and now the father of that fatal case has been hospitalized.

The growth in the number and size of the clusters has focused attention on the sequences of the H5N1 isolated from the patients. However, sequences from only one of the human H5N1 isolates has been released. It has a novel cleavage site, RESRRKKR, that has not been reported in any of the publicly available bird sequences from Indonesia or elsewhere.

These data suggest that the majority of the reported humans cases in Indonesia have not been linked to an avian sequence. Most of the sequences human isolates have been from West Java, including various locations in Jakarta and suburbs. Some of the avian sequence also are from West Java (see below)

The lack of a connection with bird H5N1 sequences and the increasing size and number of human clusters has raised pandemic concerns.

DQ320932 A/chicken/Bantul/BBVet-I/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497667 A/chicken/Dairi/BPPVI/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497668 A/chicken/Deli Serdang/BPPVI/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497651 A/chicken/Gunung Kidal/BBVW/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497652 A/chicken/Kulon Progo/BBVW/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497643 A/chicken/Magetan/BBVW/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497648 A/chicken/Purworejo/BBVW/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320928 A/chicken/Salatiga/BBVet-I/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497669 A/chicken/Tarutung/BPPVI/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497666 A/chicken/Tebing Tinggi/BPPVI/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320933 A/chicken/Wajo/BBVM/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497659 A/duck/Parepare/BBVM/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ497655 A/chicken/Bangli Bali/BBPV6-1/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497656 A/chicken/Bangli Bali/BPPV6-2/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497657 A/chicken/Jembrana/BPPV6/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320931 A/chicken/Kulon Progo/BBVet-XII-1/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497650 A/chicken/Kulon Progo/BBVet-XII-2/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497662 A/chicken/Kupang-1-NTT/BPPV6/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497660 A/chicken/Kupang-2-NTT/BPPV6/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497661 A/chicken/Kupang-3-NTT/BPPV6/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497642 A/chicken/Malang/BBVet-IV/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497658 A/chicken/Mangarai-NTT/BPPV6/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497644 A/chicken/Ngawi/BPPV4/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497663 A/chicken/Pangkalpinang/BPPV3/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497653 A/chicken/Purwakarta/BBVet-IV/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320930 A/chicken/Yogjakarta/BBVet-IX/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497647 A/quail/Boyolali/BPPV4/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497654 A/quail/Tasikmalaya/BPPV4/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ497645 A/chicken/Pekalongan/BPPV4/2003 2003 H5N1
DQ497646 A/chicken/Sragen/BPPV4/2003 2003 H5N1
AY651324 A/Ck/Indonesia/4/2004 2004 H5N1
AY651325 A/Ck/Indonesia/5/2004 2004 H5N1
AY651322 A/Dk/Indonesia/MS/2004 2004 H5N1
AY651323 A/Ck/Indonesia/2A/2003 2003 H5N1
AY651321 A/Ck/Indonesia/BL/2003 2003 H5N1
AY651320 A/Ck/Indonesia/PA/2003 2003 H5N1

 

[Mellie]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

<big><big>Commentary</big></big>

Suspect H5N1 Clusters in Surabaya Raise Pandemic Concerns

Recombinomics Commentary
May 20, 2006

The recent reports of suspected H5N1 bird flu cases in Surabaya is cause for concern. The index case has been confirmed and died May 12. Her child is currently hospitalized with bird flu symptoms and an unrelated patient has also just died.

Although only one case has been confirmed, two additional suspect cases have raised additional concerns. One fatal infection is of a teacher, and one of her students has been hospitalized and is on a respirator. Transmission of H5N1 outside of a family has been rare. In Vietnam one confirmed transmission chain involved an index case, his sister, and a nurse, all of whom were H5N1 confirmed. A second nurse had symptoms, but was not confirmed in lab tests. However, the vast majority of clusters have been limited to family members. There was a large cluster in Turkey at the beginning of 2006, and more recently the largest Indonesian cluster, in North Sumatra. However, all members of these cluster were related to the index case.

Correction:

The teacher decribed above appears to be another media description of the confirmed fatality (38M) and therefore there is no infected teacher and no relationship between a fatally infected teacher and the H5N1 confirmed student.

The cluster involving teacher and student has not been reported previously. Such transmission would signal an increased efficiency and diminish the likelihood that the familial clusters were genetically linked. An earlier cluster of five in Haiphong involved a husband and wife and three daughter. All five family members were H5N1 confirmed and the infection of both husband and wife diminishes the genetic link. The results of tests on neighbors with symnptoms has been withheld.

Concerns that transmission is from a source other than avian has been raised since almost all sequenced human cases in West Java have a novel cleavage site not found in poultry isolates. This novel sequence has also been found in a cat, raising the possibility that the sequence is closely linked to mammalian infections.

Since most suspect cases in Indonesia are not tested in the absence of a poultry link, many infections from a mammalian source many not be diagnosed. The frequent detection of the novel cleavage site highlights the need for more aggressive testing of avian and swine H5N1 infections.

Similarly, the H5N1 human and animal sequences sequestered at the WHO private data base should be released immediately.

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

All thanks to Flu Wiki Team at
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.NewsReportsMay21

From Flu Wiki by rivky – at 09:56

Here is a translated article from Media Indonesia May 20th:

Surabaya — MILE: A male patient was approximately 20 years that were expected old (suspect) was infected by bird flu, on Saturday around struck 08. 30 WIB, died, after being treated in Budi’s Hospital Noble Surabaya since May 9. “We still could not conclude whether the patient died because suspect bird flu.” But was based on the possibility diagnosis headed there (contracted bird flu), said Budi’s Hospital public relations Noble Surabaya, Octdy Hendrawan, in Surabaya, on Saturday. Was based on the diagnosis and signs that apparently, the patient it was suspected contracted bird flu, because of the patient while being treated experienced breathless (pneumonia) and the high fever. Nevertheless, to confirm whether this diagnosis was positive or negative, the management of Budi’s Hospital Noble has sent the example of casualties’s blood to Jakarta for the further inspection, he said. Moreover, in order to anticipates the possibility of the existence of the patient suspect bird flu, the management of Budi’s Hospital Noble currently has done the co-ordination Officially the Surabaya Health as well as the regional Public Hospital (RSUD) Dr Soetomo. With the existence of the casualties then already three patients that it was suspected contracted bird flu that was treated in the hospital in Surabaya. Two patients beforehand were a woman was the citizen’s approximately 30 years old Pucang Young Ii Surabaya and AP one of the citizen’s Kediri students. The patient of the citizen’s woman Pucang Young Ii Surabaya had finally died, after could be treated by RKZ because his condition has been serious enough. While the patient from Kediri that is reconciled to RSUD Dr Soetomo, currently still in the intensive maintenance in this hospital. Resulting from the incident, 11 people were taken the sample of his blood to be checked in the laboratory in Yogyakarta. Two among them the nurse RKZ and close relative of the patient suspect bird flu. From 11 people had three people that could dikarantina Dinkes Surabaya, because of contracting the sign like bird flu, namely two nurses RKZ and the older brother pengidap suspect bird flu. However, the latest development only of the sufferer’s older brothers suspect bird flu that still was undergoing quarantine. http://tinyurl.com/akr4j

 

[Bruce]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

WHO bans local journalists from coverning WHA meet


http://www.cna.com.tw/eng/info/twhead.php

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

oh.we'll find out soon enuff,i'm afraid.

 

[DB]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-21T190535Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-250327-1.xml&archived=False

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An 18-year-old East Java shuttlecock maker has been diagnosed with bird flu, according to local test results announced on Sunday.

The Health Ministry's Director General for Disease Control, I Nyoman Kandun, told Reuters that the victim was undergoing treatment in hospital and that a sample of his blood will be sent to a Hong Kong laboratory recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for further testing.

"He was working as a shuttlecock maker. We are still tracing where (the factory) got the feathers," Kandun said.

Most human cases of bird flu from the H5N1 virus are believed to stem from direct or indirect contact with infected poultry.

At least 32 people have died of bird flu in Indonesia, the second highest toll after Vietnam where 42 have died. More than half that number have died this year.

Last week the number of confirmed infections in one family on Indonesia's Sumatra island hit six, a so-called "cluster" case that raised concern about possible human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Indonesian and international officials are still investigating the case to try to determine the cause. Experts fear if human-to-human transmission developed it could lead to a pandemic.

No other members of the North Sumatra village where the family lived are known to have been infected with bird flu, the WHO has said, but the world body has not ruled out limited human-to-human transmission in the family cluster.

Bird flu has spread across Europe, Africa and Asia and has killed 123 people worldwide, the majority in east Asia, since re-appearing in 2003. Virtually all the victims caught the disease from poultry.
The H5N1 virus is endemic in much of Indonesia.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05210601/H5N1_Surabaya_Student.html

 

[Niko]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Full text

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05210601/H5N1_Surabaya_Student.html

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Student Teacher Cluster in Surabaya

Recombinomics Commentary
May 21, 2006

An 18-year-old East Java shuttlecock maker has been diagnosed with bird flu, according to local test results announced on Sunday.

The confirmation of H5N1 bird flu in the student in the teacher/student cluster in Surabaya is cause for concern. The teacher died earlier and the circumstances surrounding here hospitalization and death have not been described. However, the confirmation of her student raises the number of confirmed cases to two, and increases the likelihood at the other three members of the cluster have been infected with H5N1.

This cluster is in East Java and distinct from the larger cluster in North Sumatra. These clusters in addition to the clusters in and around Jakarta raise additional concerns and highlight the need for the release of the human and animal sequences sequestered at the private WHO database. Most of the human Indonesian sequences have a novel cleavage site not found in the avian isolates suggesting the human cases are not linked to poultry, increasing pandemic concerns.

I would encourage anyone, especially those new to tracking H5N1, to go to Dr. Niman's site for a great historical perspective as well as current news & commentary.

 

[Theresa42]

WHO bans Taiwanese journalists

WHO bans Taiwanese journalists

More specifically, WHO bans Taiwanese journalists...it's a political thing...

WHO bans local journalists from coverning WHA meet

http://www.cna.com.tw/eng/info/twhead.php

WHO bans local journalists from covering WHA meet
United Nations regulations cited as reason for discrimination of the writers

Taiwan News, Staff Reporter
2006-05-21 Page 1
By Jenny W. Hsu
Published:

The World Health Organization on Friday rejected the applications of Taiwanese journalists to cover next week's World Health Assembly, attributing their action to United Nations procedures.

The WHO indicated that Taiwanese journalists were more than welcome to enter the health body's headquarters, but because the annual assembly meeting was being held at the U.N.'s European headquarters - the Palais des Nations - in Geneva, media accreditation would be handled according to U.N. policy.

A top WHO official who asked not to be identified pointed to the clause in the guidelines that was sidelining Taiwanese reporters.

"Journalists must present two forms of valid ID. Valid ID must include a current passport from a State recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, along with a press card, work ID, driver's license or other form of photo ID," the clause reads.

Local reporters have not always been excluded from the meeting. Prior to 2004, Taiwanese journalists could be accredited using their Republic of China passports. Since the policy was reversed, however, only those with a second passport from a country recognized by the U.N. can get a press badge.

Without formal accreditation, local journalists must sign up for an entry pass as a "member of the public" in order to witness the assembly's proceedings. A limited number of passes will be distributed on the first day of the assembly, which will be held from May 22 to 27.

Several international organizations blasted the U.N. for what they described as a "discriminatory" policy.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Aidan White, the general secretary of the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalism, said "the policy of banning journalists from Taiwan from access to the WHA....discriminates against journalists, which undermines the U.N.'s commitment to free speech and which appears to be motivated by internal policies."

White went on to say that the policy, at its mildest, is "questionable."

"Private citizens of Taiwan working as journalists should not be subject to discrimination. Their responsibilities are entirely professional, not political," he wrote, adding that the WHA is one of world's premier media event and "it is a matter of humanitarian and public interest to all people."

Association of European Journalists Secretary-General Nicolass Peter Kramer criticized the policy for its unacceptable professional imbalance.

"Taiwan is one of the few countries that enjoy a high degree of freedom of press. Twenty-three million people are left uninformed because their journalists are not allowed any first hand information at the WHA," Kramer said.

The WHA is the highest decision-making body of the WHO. Admission of Taiwan as a WHA observer might be discussed during this year's meeting.

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/ne...g=eng_news&cate_img=38&cate_rss=news_Politics

 

[Theresa42]

Boy dies of bf in Papua

Boy dies of bf in Papua

May 19, 2006
5 Bird Flu Deaths in Indonesia Not Linked to Human Exchange
By PETER GELLING

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia, May 18 ? World Health Organization officials said Thursday that the five avian flu deaths confirmed this week on Sumatra were probably not a result of human-to-human infection and did not suggest that the virus had mutated into a more deadly form.

Five family members were confirmed dead from the A(H5N1) strain of avian influenza by the World Health Organization on Wednesday, the largest such cluster recorded. A sixth family member died of flulike symptoms but was not tested for the virus.

Clusters like the one in Kubu Sembilang village in northern Sumatra, where the victims lived, worry health officials because they indicate that the virus may have been transmitted between humans. Health officials have long feared that such a mutation could set off a worldwide pandemic capable of killing millions.

Gina Samaan, a field epidemiologist for the World Health Organization in Kubu Sembilang investigating the recent cluster, said that the number of deaths had raised eyebrows but that so far the outbreak was similar to others in Indonesia that were caused by close contact with infected poultry.

"Current evidence doesn't suggest at all that the virus was passed between humans," she said in a telephone interview.

Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said Thursday that a number of chickens, ducks and pigs in the village had tested positive for the virus. He said infected flocks of poultry would be culled immediately.

No new cases were reported beyond the Sumatra cluster, which officials said was encouraging. Investigators are scouring the village to determine why only this family had caught the disease.

Indonesia's death toll has reached 30, second only to Vietnam, which has recorded 42. Indonesia, however, has been recording bird flu deaths at a much higher rate than any other country in recent months.

Local tests indicate that a boy in the remote eastern province of Papua who died recently also had bird flu.

The latest fatalities prompted the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to ask Thursday for additional international financial and technical support to help terminate the spread of the disease.

The government has been hesitant to conduct mass culls, as other Asian countries have done, because it cannot compensate farmers.

Lack of public health education probably accounts for Indonesia's high fatality rate, health officials say. In April, Indonesian bird flu patients reported their symptoms an average of five days after they began, making it hard for doctors to prevent deaths.

"It is an issue of how quickly people report their symptoms," Ms. Samaan said. "But we believe health care awareness is increasing."

In Jakarta, where the majority of the Indonesian deaths have occurred, all major hospitals and even smaller health clinics have plastered bright orange-and-yellow posters on their walls detailing bird flu symptoms and treatments. Booklets have been distributed to far-flung villages throughout the country.

In the tiny village of Taman Jaya on Java's southwestern tip, villagers recently examined an informational packet from the Health Ministry, while chickens ran freely in the front door, through the kitchen and out the back door.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/world/asia/19birdflu.html

 

[DB]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

"World Health Organization officials said Thursday that the five avian flu deaths confirmed this week on Sumatra were probably not a result of human-to-human infection and did not suggest that the virus had mutated into a more deadly form. "


"Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said Thursday that a number of chickens, ducks and pigs in the village had tested positive for the virus. He said infected flocks of poultry would be culled immediately."


​

It's the same cast of characters spitting out the same lines.

This is old and incorrect information that is being repeated.

For a recap of what was said on Thursday see here.

It would be nice if the virus listened to these statements, but alas it does not.

The recent cluster in Indonesia is clearly some form of human-to-human transmission and it ceases to amaze me how they play it off as if it is not.

It is as if they are all suffering from delusions.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

The writer: Faishol Taselan Surabaya -- MIOL: Other the sufferer suspect bird flu Aris Ashar, 20, from Jepara, Central Java, on Saturday (19/5) died after being treated for nine days in Budi's Hospital Noble Surabaya. With Aris's death, in Surabaya was recorded by two people who died resulting from bird flu. Beforehand, died on behalf of the Lily, 36, the citizen's year Street Pucang Anom II/27 Surabaya. Information that was accepted mentioned this patient entered RS Budi Mulya since last Tuesday (09/05) with the sign of pneumonia and breathless acute. It was increasingly old, his condition increasingly descended. After that, the side RS Budi Mulya that suspicious with the condition for casualties, did the co-ordination with RSU Dr Soetomo and Dinkes the Surabaya City and Dinkes the Province. For the maintenance suspect this bird flu, the handling that was carried out by RS Budi Mulya did not have a basis the procedure that was determined by the Department of Health, as being placed in special isolation space was mixt with the other patient. "We will be waiting up until the following Tuesday to know kepastiana whether being affected by bird flu or not." That definitely korba has been brought came home the family, Superior words one of the staffs public relations of RS Budi Noble. The body suspect bird flu, has been taken by the family to be buried in Jepara. (FL)

http://www.mediaindo.co.id

 

[Niko]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Lack of public health education probably accounts for Indonesia's high fatality rate, health officials say. In April, Indonesian bird flu patients reported their symptoms an average of five days after they began, making it hard for doctors to prevent deaths.

That may be the average, but it doesn't apply to the Sumatra family cluster. The timeline doesn't support this. After the intial case died, other family members started becoming sick and sought treatment. I imagine that most people, no matter the culture or level of poverty, ignorance, etc., would seek treatment if a family member died then they began to show symptoms. This assumes that health care is available, of course. As awareness of bird flu increases, the average time before seeking treatment should go down.

 

[Theresa42]

Indonesia cannot rule out human-to-human transmission of bird flu

Indonesia cannot rule out human-to-human transmission of bird flu

Indonesia cannot rule out human-to-human transmission of bird flu
May 22, 2006

JAKARTA (AFP) - An investigation into Indonesia's largest cluster of bird flu victims cannot yet rule out the possibility of human-to-human transmission, a health official has said.

I Nyoman Kandun, director for the health ministry's communicable disease control centre, said epidemiological investigation into a cluster of five cases in Sumatra, which health experts feared might be Indonesia's first case of human-to-human transmission of the deadly virus, was inconclusive.

"We cannot confirm that (human-to-human transmission) has occurred but we cannot rule it out," Kandun told reporters.

He added that Indonesian officials were being assisted by the World Health Organisation, and the Centres for Disease Control.

Test results from the World Health Organisation (WHO) last week confirmed that the five family members had all contracted the H5N1 virus, bringing Indonesia's bird flu death toll to 32.

Local tests on Monday confirmed that a sixth family member, a 32-year-old man, been infected with bird flu, said Kandun. [Dowes Ginting, Rafael Ginting's father?]

"He is the father of one of victims," Kandun said.

Indonesia has witnessed more bird flu deaths than any other country this year. It has the world's second highest number of fatalities since 2003, after Vietnam. Nine Indonesians who were infected have survived.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/healthf...y6TvyIi;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

 

[MHSC]

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

Re: Indonesia BF, 5/19- 5/21

<HR style="COLOR: #cccccc" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->American Tamiflu Stocks Sent To Unnamed Asian Country

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu News
Article Date: 22 May 2006 - 9:00am (PDT)

Mike Leavitt, US Health and Human Services Secretary, says US stocks of Tamiflu are being sent to a safe location in some unnamed Asian country. He said this move is to help the first line of defence in case a flu pandemic breaks out.

Many wonder why this sudden move was announced. Why is the country unnamed? Last week it was announced that 7 members of the same family in Indonesia were infected with the H5N1 bird flu strain - six of them died. The World Health Organization said it was unlikely that such a large cluster of human infections was due to human-to-human transmission. However, nobody seems to be able to locate the source of infection.

If a bunch of people get infected and authorities cannot find any birds as the source, it is not illogical to wonder whether these people may have infected each other. When the WHO says this is unlikely, but cannot offer any other explanation regarding the source of infection, people wonder.

Mike Leavitt said the Tamiflu stocks that are being moved from the USA to Asia would belong to the USA - America would control its deployment. We are told the shipment will arrive at the Asian country later this week. We don't know how many Tamiflu doses were sent.

These Tamiflu stocks will help support international containment efforts in case a flu pandemic breaks out in Asia. Mike Leavitt added that the stocks could be sent back to the USA if needed.

Mike Leavitt said the USA will have enough Tamiflu to treat one quarter of the US population in the event of a flu pandemic. However, his figures are based on some hopeful suppositions. By the end of this year the USA will have 26 million treatment courses - less than 10% of the population. By the end of 2007 it will have 75 million treatment courses - 25% of the population. As long as the pandemic does not hit before the end of 2007, in about one year-and-a-half, his supposition will be accurate. However, if it hits before that, he will be short. The USA has a population of about 290 million.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today