# 4905
Getting bird flu news out of Indonesia can be particularly difficult since the Health Ministry decided several years ago that constantly talking about their H5N1 problem was bad for the country’s image (see Indonesia To Stop Announcing Bird Flu Deaths).
The MOH now only releases information at irregular intervals. In 2009, we went more than 10 months between updates.
In what may be a hopeful sign, this year, the MOH has been slightly more accommodating.
Which leaves us with monitoring local press reports which often pick up on large outbreaks in birds, and the occasional suspected human infection, and hoping that at some point we will get some kind of official confirmation of these stories.
Ida at the Bird Flu Information Corner - a joint effort between Kobe University in Japan and the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Indonesia – monitors and translates Indonesian press reports, and is one of our best sources of information.
Today Ida has two stories.
First, the suspected Bird Flu infection of a young girl in West Kalimantan, which if you will recall, was the location of a suspected bird flu fatality in July (see Another Suspected Bird Flu Fatality In Indonesia).
West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia
The previous month (June), 5 children in this region were suspected of contracting bird flu, but testing revealed it to be the pandemic H1N1 virus.
Suspect cases of H5N1 often turn out to be something other than bird flu, since the virus’s early symptoms are consistent with a wide variety of viral illnesses common to the region.
That said, here is the story on this latest suspect case.
Pontianak, West Kalimantan ::: Nine-year old girl may contract bird flu
Posted by Ida on September 16, 2010
A second report details steps that are being taken in Luwu Timur, South Sulawesi to try to combat an outbreak of H5N1 in domestic birds, where thousands of birds have recently died.
In response, the Health Service has formed a special avian influenza treatment unit in anticipation of possible human cases.
This story also suggests that standard control measures in Luwu Timur, such as the spraying of disinfectant, have failed to control the outbreak.
Luwu Timur, South Sulawesi ::: Health Service forms special point for avian influenza treatment
Posted by Ida on September 16, 2010
We’ll obviously be keeping close watch on these stories to see if they should develop further.
