# 5033
As often happens, a suspected H5N1 patient in Indonesia ultimately tested negative for the virus. This time, the case involved an 8-year-old boy hospitalized in Tangerang, Indonesia (see Another Bird Flu Suspect In Indonesia) who had been hospitalized for a week.
Since many other diseases can present with symptoms similar to bird flu (including regular flu, Dengue, Malaria, and other viral fevers), patients are often placed in the `suspected bird flu’ category until lab tests can prove otherwise.
Admittedly, laboratory testing for the virus hasn’t always been completely reliable, with false negative results not being uncommon.
But according to this report from Ida at The Bird Flu Information Corner, posted by Dutchy this morning on this FluTrackers thread following this case, this child has been diagnosed with Tuberculosis instead.
Tangerang, Banten : Boy tests negative bird flu
Posted by Ida on November 5, 2010
Tangerang – A bird flu suspect boy, FI (8 years old) is recovering. He’s still being treated in Tangerang hospital and tested negative bird flu H5N1.“His condition is improving and test result showed negative bird flu. He is diagnosed lung TB,” said Ati Pramudji, spokesman of Tangerang’s Health Service.
Source: Indonesia newspaper, Koran Tempo.
So far, I’ve not seen any lab results on the 5-year-old fatality from last week, suspected of having an H5N1 infection (see Indonesia: Suspected Bird Flu Fatality).
