Bird Flu Kills 8-Year-Old Indonesian Girl

= From abcnews.go.com =

By MARGIE MASON
The Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Local tests showed an 8-year-old girl has died of bird flu, a health official said Friday, the latest case in a spike putting Indonesia on pace to become the world's hardest-hit country.

The World Health Organization has yet to confirm the death, which would bring the country's official death toll from the H5N1 virus to 37.

The girl, from Pamulang on the outskirts of Jakarta, died late Thursday after apparently coming into contact with sick poultry, said Nyoman Kandun, a senior Health Ministry official.

The girl's 10-year-old brother died three days earlier with similar flu-like symptoms, but no samples were taken, said Dr. Hariadi Wibisono, a senior official at the national Health Department. The boy died in an emergency room before being treated, and the family immediately took him home for burial, he said.

"The family reported that chickens died near their house, and we have been told they had contact with birds," Wibisono said.

One of the children's other three siblings also developed a fever but recovered after being given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters Friday.

The children's father said he was aware of bird flu, but had no idea the virus was circulating near the family's house.

"I am very shocked. I do not understand how bird flu occurred in my neighborhood," said Suryoto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "This internationally known disease took away my lovely children only in days, less then a week."

He said his son fell ill with a fever after playing soccer with other children near their home. When it became difficult for the boy to breathe, Suryoto rushed him to a hospital, but it was too late.

"He died before the doctor could do something for him," Suryoto said.

Meanwhile, Bayu Khrisnamurti, secretary-general of the National Committee of Avian Flu Control, said a mass poultry slaughter would begin soon in the North Sumatra village of Kubu Simbelang.

The village attracted international attention last month after six members of a family died of bird flu and a seventh was sickened. An eighth family member was buried before samples were collected, but WHO considers her part of the cluster of cases the largest ever reported.

Experts have not found any link between the relatives and infected birds, which has led them to suspect human-to-human transmission. But no one outside the group of blood relatives has fallen ill and experts say the virus has not mutated.

Bird flu has killed at least 127 people worldwide since it started ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003. It is difficult for humans to catch, but experts fear the virus could mutate into a form more easily transmissible between humans, potentially sparking a pandemic. So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds.

Indonesia trails only Vietnam, where 42 people have died, in number of bird flu deaths.

Associated Press reporters Niniek Karmini, Irwan Firdaus and Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report from Jakarta.

Scary...

The only thing I can say about this is...

DON'T LET THEM GET YOUR BIRDS!!!!!

Isolate them. Keep them inside. If they don't get in contact with sick birds, you won't, either. If this comes to America and Canada, isolation is the key.

Also, have they ever thought that the flu might mutate to OTHER species, or that it might mutate in a good way that will not affect humans? Or hopefully birds, too.

But bad things might happen.

There has already been cases of bird flu in the states. Thats why if you find dead birds in your yard that apear to just drop dead with no outward sign of injury your to call the local GameWarden or Animal Control Officer.
Not just for bird flu though but because there might be toxins being used in your area killing wildlife and if so they need to find where and how.

So still the evil called bird flu exists! Well I was browsing different places and after reading some forums was feeling delighted that this problem might have been over by now, at least the opinion and the expressions of some people suggested the same. But this is clear to me now that the situation is quite different! I am speechless!

That is so sad !! I hope bird flu does not become an issue fo companion birds

I feel that the bird flu will be just like any other sickness. If you are healthy and happy, it won't kill you and may not even effect you. If you are like most and are unhappy at work, sit in terrible traffic, and have alot of stress it may get you. I am healthy even though I don't have the best of jobs or any medical benefits at all. My pets are a great source of happiness in my life and anyone including the government that comes into my home trying to take my birds away will be repelled at any cost. I will not lose my companions, just because this world and our government are crappy.

wow. all i can say.

Well IMO if they wanted to slow down the bird flu then I think they need to take a closer look at the husbandry practices of poultry farms in asian countries as well as other countries.

Most of the bird flu sources have come from poultry farms. If these farms clean up and change how they operate the farms then it can save more birds from being slaughtered and save the innocent human victims who contract the virus.

If we don't get a handle on this situation then all of the birds including our pets could be at risk.

People may hate me for saying this, but anyone that comes to my house with the purpose of killing any of my animals is at risk of severe bodily injury or even worse.

Quote: (Originally Posted by Birdguy79)

People may hate me for saying this, but anyone that comes to my house with the purpose of killing any of my animals is at risk of severe bodily injury or even worse.

I feel the same way! If someone came knockin on my door......I don't know what I would do!