# 779
Once again, Avian Flu news has slowed to a trickle.
Negotiations are still ongoing in Geneva with Indonesia over virus samples, and promises are being made to developing nations to find a way to ensure they get access to an, as yet, non-existent vaccine, but reports of actual cases appear to be declining.
The question is, are they?
On Tuesday, when Indonesia finally confirmed with the WHO that over the past 3 and 1/2 months they'd had 15 new cases of human infection, and 13 deaths, they also indicated they had 20 patients in hospitals undergoing treatment for the bird flu virus. We've heard nothing more on these cases.
Readers of this blog, and flu forums, were not surprised to hear of these 15 newly confirmed cases, or quite frankly, that they had another 20 suspect cases. Due to the hard work of Internet Newshounds, we've been able to keep reasonable track of cases out of Indonesia, despite the official silence.
Reports continue to come in through translated local media reports of numerous poultry die-offs in Indonesia, suspected bird flu patients entering hospitals or being treated by local clinics with Tamiflu, and of growing concerns in that country over their government's handling of the problem. Rarely do these reports make it to the English media.
Today, we are watching the neighbor of NS, the 26 year old woman who died last weekend, who has been admitted to the hospital with suspected bird flu symptoms.
A hat tip to Mojo on the Wiki for this translation.
Again, the Sufferer Suspek Bird Flu was shifted to RSUP
on Friday, 18-05-2007
zainul abdi
MedanBisnis ? Medan
four days post the mother was pregnant, N Sitinjak (26), died resulting from bird flu, last Saturday night in RSUP H Adam the Medan Owner, the plague of the bird flu virus apparently again attacked the resident in Street Proton Ujung/Peratun the Medan District Estate the Subdistrict of Percut Sei Mr the Deliserdang Regency.
The neighbour Sitinjak, was run off with to RSUP H Adam Malik Medan, because experienced suspek bird flu, on Wednesday night (16/5) around struck 19,30 of WIB. Warga that was shifted this a woman had the initials the OAK br S (15).
Obviously it is too early to draw any conclusions here. Testing hasn't been completed, and no results have been announced. For now, this is just another suspect case.
But living in close proximity to a recent death (100 meters away) raises certain red flags. Whether we hear, officially, about the status of this new case, or any news on the 20 other's hospitalized in Indonesia, only time will tell.
What is obvious is that Indonesian authorities are not going out of their way to release information. Perhaps this is part of their strategy, along with the withholding of virus samples, to pressure the WHO on vaccines.
Our tendency is, when newspaper headlines aren't screaming about new cases, to let our guard down. To assume that no news equals good news.
Sometimes it does.
But recent events have shown us that we don't always get timely information on what is actually happening in places like Indonesia, and that assuming things are quiet may be a dangerous practice.
