# 5634
Thanks go to Ida at the Bird Flu Information Corner – a joint project of Kobe University in Japan and the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Indonesia – for this report from the Indonesian media on a family in West Sumatra suspected of H5N1 infection.
Agam, West Sumatera ::: A family treated of bird flu suspicion
Posted by Ida on June 17, 2011
Agam – A family, E (43 years old) and his children, Adi (14), Gilang Ramadhan (9) and Nuzuli (5.5), from Jorong Koto Panjang Nagari Kapau, Kecamatan Tilatang Kamang, Agam, suspected of contracting bird flu H5N1 after the family’s chickens had suddenly died since Friday last week. The family started to feel sick and to have high fever since Monday. A sample of dead chickens was tested positive bird flu infection.
The family has been referred to Adam Malik hospital in Bukittinggi for medical examination.
The original media report indicated that 7 chickens kept as family pets began to die about a week ago, and since then the family has experienced recurrent high fevers.
There are a number of other illnesses common to Indonesia that could produce similar symptoms - including seasonal influenza and dengue fever – and so their diagnosis at this time is anything but certain.
Until we get laboratory confirmation, these are simply `suspected cases’.
Unfortunately, all too often, we never get a follow up on these cases that are reported in the media.
For several years the Indonesian MOH (Ministry of Health) has been slow to provide details about human cases and has refused to share viral samples with the World Health Organization.
Since former Minister of Health Supari was replaced by Dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih in 2009, we’ve seen some subtle signs of greater transparency. And recently an agreement was reached on the sharing of viral samples (see WHO Announcement On Framework For Virus Sharing).
Hopeful signs.
Although we continue to see isolated human infections in Indonesia, Egypt, and around the world - for now H5N1 is primarily a threat to poultry.
The virus remains poorly adapted to human physiology, and despite ample opportunities to cause illness in humans, only causes rare, sporadic infections.
The concern, of course, is that over time that may change. That the virus will mutate into a form that is easily acquired and passed on by humans.
