# 1178
Exactly how Indonesia's latest victim of avian flu, a 12-year-old-boy, came in contact with the H5N1 virus remains a bit of a mystery.
Of course, he is not alone.
Despite the insistence of authorities that it requires close contact with an infected bird, and that the virus is exceedingly difficult to contract, over the past couple of years we've received scattered reports of people sickened who had no such apparent contact.
While Indonesian authorities insist that the only route of infection is bird-to-human, they obviously aren't looking very hard to find any other vectors. In fact, some of the official explanations, tying a victim to infected fowl, have been pretty thin.
We know that cats and dogs can contract the virus, and that other mammals are likely vulnerable, yet little or no investigation goes into looking at those potential vectors.
Houseflies have recently received attention by researchers as potential vectors. Earlier this summer, this article made a splash.
Houseflies can spread bird flu virus: Study
By ASIT JOLLY
Chandigarh, July 10: Recent North American research has made the startling conclusion that several insects, particularly Musca domestica or the common housefly, are capable of carrying and transmitting the New Castle Disease Virus as well its more deadly, highly pathogenic strain, H5N1, which is transmittable from animals to humans.
British scientist, Terry Mabbett, reporting in a recent issue of Poultry International, says the new research findings must come as a big wake up call for the world’s poultry industry.
Obviously, given the low number of infections, the H5N1 virus isn't being efficiently transmitted by any route. And it is likely that direct bird-to-human infection remains the primary route of transmission.
Still, an increasing number of cases appear not to fall into the classic route of transmission, and it would behoove us to find out exactly how the virus is being transmitted, and what other reservoirs of the virus exist.
Ignoring it, because it isn't convenient, politically expedient, or easy to track, won't make it go away.
Tangerang youth latest bird flu virus fatality
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Tangerang regency in Banten province has recorded five deaths from bird flu after the latest victim, a 12-year-old boy, died from the virus on Oct. 13.
The regency health agency's head of communicable disease prevention, Yuliah Iskandar, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday the boy, a resident of Ceger village in Sepatan district, had suffered high fever from Sept. 30 but was only admitted to Tangerang General Hospital on Oct. 8.
The boy, identified only as Ir, was then transferred to Persahabatan Hospital on Oct. 9 under suspicions he had contracted bird flu.
Ir had shown symptoms of fever, leucopenia (a decrease in the number of white blood cells), thrombositopenia (a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood) and pneumonia (an infection of the lung that causes respiration problems).
The Health Ministry's research and development center confirmed a day later the boy had been infected by the H5N1 virus.
"He was brought here last Tuesday and placed directly in the special care unit for bird flu patients. He died on Saturday," said an on-duty nurse at the hospital.
Yuliah said the agency had taken blood samples from the victim's family members and his neighbors to be tested at a Health Ministry laboratory, with the results to be announced within three days.
Yuliah said the victim and his family had not had direct contact with live poultry and birds near the house in the village, but there was a poultry-breeding business some 500 meters away from the victim's house.
"We have assigned a team to investigate the source of the H5N1 virus in the neighborhood but there are no indications bird flu has spread in the neighborhood," she said.
Following the deaths of Iwan Siswara, an official at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), and his two young daughters from bird flu early in July 2005, the central government declared Tangerang a bird flu red zone.
In August, a Tangerang maid died from bird flu two days after being treated for a high fever and acute pneumonia at Tangerang's Sari Asih Hospital.
Her employers, Wahyu Proyato and Winda Amalia, residents of Perumnas II complex in Tangerang regency, said they had no idea how their maid contracted the virus because there were no chickens at their home or in the neighborhood.
Banten province has recorded 19 human cases of bird flu, 15 of which have been fatal.
Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiah issued a bylaw on poultry restrictions on Jan. 19, which included a ban on keeping backyard fowl.
Unfortunately, the ordinance has yet to take effect due to prolonged protests from the Banten Council.
