WHO confirms 2 more H5N1 cases in Indonesia

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Sep 25, 2006 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today recognized two more cases of H5N1 avian influenza in Indonesia, both involving boys who died of the illness, bringing Indonesia's toll to 67 cases with 51 deaths.

The latest case confirmed by the WHO today was in a 9-year-old boy from South Jakarta. He fell ill with a fever and runny nose on Sep 13, was hospitalized Sep 20, and died 2 days later, the agency said. He had had recent contact with sick chickens, which he kept as pets.

Indonesian officials reported Sep 22 that an 11-year-old from East Java province had died of avian flu, and the WHO confirmed his case today. The boy experienced a fever and cough on Sep 16, was hospitalized Sep 18, and died the same day. Poultry deaths occurred in his household in the month before he got sick and have continued in his neighborhood, the WHO said.

The two cases bring the WHO's global H5N1 count to 249 cases with 146 deaths, representing a case-fatality rate of 59%.

See also:

Sep 25 WHO statement
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_09_25/en/index.html

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