# 2687
With the stated policy of Depkes - the Indonesian Health Ministry - not to confirm human H5N1 infections in real time - rather to release aggregate totals every few months - reporting on `suspect' cases out of that country becomes an exercise in frustration.
While I'm sure that Depkes would prefer that we assume that `no news really means no news', the truth is, the H5N1 virus is endemic in Indonesian poultry, and human cases are no doubt still occurring.
How many, of course, is the real question. And I don't think anyone knows the answer to that question.
The dilemma is: how much coverage do we provide, when confirmation (if it comes at all) may be weeks or even months away?
I'm still wrestling with this issue. And I've no satisfactory answer.
For now, I'm going to continue to report suspect cases. At least the ones that sound credible to me, based on local reporting.
I would suggest my readers not take these reports as `breaking news', but rather as an ongoing reminder that bird flu activity in Indonesia may not be quite as quiet as their government would like us to believe.
Today, The Bird Flu Information Corner, which is is a weblog developed based on collaboration work between Kobe University, Japan and Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Indonesia in bird flu research field, has translations of two local media reports of suspect cases out of Indonesia.
As to whether either case is really H5N1 related, we may have to wait a while to find out.
A big hat tip to them for finding, and translating, these reports.
Banyumas, Central Java Bird flu Suspect Human Case
——————————————————————————————-
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Banyumas – Rupinah (45), resident of Wiramastra village, Bawang, Subdistrict, Central Java admitted to isolation unit of regional hospital RSUD Banyumas as bird flu suspect patient. She was developing bird flu signs such as breathing difficulty coughing, high fever and stomach pain after contacted with suddenly dead chicken.
The vice service chief of RSUD Banyumas, Dian Isworo (21/1) said that patient showed bird flu signs when she was admitted to hospital Monday (19/1). Blood sample of the patient has been collected and will be checked by Jakarta laboratory for confirmation. Dian Isoworo also stated that patient had close contact with chicken since she was working as chicken meat seller at traditional market. Patient had contact with dead chicken last week when she found that one of the chickens that she was selling was dead. According to the Livestock Service officer, the dead chicken contacted with patient contracted bird flu virus.
From Pikiran Rakyat, Indonesia local newspaper
6-year-old child bird flu suspected patient from Kendal, Central Java
——————————————————————
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
A 6-year-old child, bird flu suspected patient in Kendal, Central Java is treated at intensive care unit regional hospital RSUD Dokter Soewondo Kendal. The child, DN, is resident of Ngesrep, Jurang Agung village, Plantungan subdistrict, Kendal.
Monday 12/1, patient was admitted to regional hospital by public health center of Plantungan. According to the medical record, DN developed bird-flu like symptom such as beathing difficulty, coughing and high fever. Doctor at the hospital said that according to the simple laboratory test there were no bird flu sign observed, however the tracheal swab and blood sample have been sent to Medical School of Dipenogoro University Semarang for further examination.
DN is suspected to contract bird flu virus since number of chickens in his neighborhood suddenly died due to bird flu infection.
