Thursday, August 16, 2007

Indonesian Teenager Latest Victim Of Bird Flu

 

 

# 1064

 

 

Not a lot of details available yet, but a 17-year-old girl is Indonesia's latest H5N1 victim.  She died on Tuesday, one day after entering the hospital.  This raises the `official death toll' in Indonesia to 83. 

 

Of course, that number only represents officially recognized H5N1 deaths.  The actual number is likely higher.

 

 

 

 

Aug 16, 5:04 AM EDT

Bird flu kills Indonesian teenager, raises death toll to 83

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A 17-year-old Indonesian girl died of bird flu, raising the country's death toll to 83, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

 

The girl from Tangerang, just west of capital Jakarta, died on Tuesday after only one day after being admitted to a hospital, said spokesman Joko Suyono.

 

"Tests in two local laboratories came back positive" for the H5N1 strain of the disease, he said.

 

She first showed bird flu symptoms five days before being hospitalized, and health investigators were still scouring for the source of the infection. In almost all cases, patients contracted the virus after exposure to sick or dead poultry.

 

The latest fatality comes just days after a woman died of bird flu on the resort island of Bali, causing fears that the first recorded case hurt tourism, already struggling since terrorist attacks in 2002 and 2005 killed hundreds of visitors.