WHO: H5N1 killed mother of Indonesia's latest case-patient

Lisa Schnirring
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Mar 25, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today reported new details about an Indonesian toddler who is recovering from H5N1 avian flu, including that her mother died from the virus a day before the girl got sick.

Indonesia's health ministry first announced the girl's H5N1 infection on a government Web site a few days ago, according to a translated version of the statement posted by Bird Flu Information Corner (BFIC) on Mar 23. The notice didn't cite the mother's H5N1 infection or death.

BFIC is a Web message board operated by Kobe University in Japan and Airlangga University in Indonesia. It includes English translations of reports on avian influenza from various Indonesian and global sources, including the foreign-language news media.

Today's WHO confirmation said the 2-year-old girl from Bekasi City in West Java province became ill on Mar 2, was admitted to a healthcare facility the next day, and was referred to a hospital on Mar 9. She has fully recovered from her H5N1 infection, according to the WHO. Confirmation of her illness raises Indonesia's H5N1 case total to 175, of which 144 were fatal.

The WHO said in the same statement that the girl's mother is the case-patient described in its Mar 14 statement. The 31-year-old woman, from Bekasi City, West Java province, got sick on Feb 23 and died on Mar 1 after in-patient treatment at a private clinic and a hospital where she received oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

The girl accompanied her mother to a traditional market that sold live poultry, but investigators are still exploring the source of the two infections. The earlier report from Indonesia's health ministry said ornamental birds were reared in the girl's neighborhood and that some had recently tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

So far this year Indonesia has reported 4 H5N1 cases, of which 3 were fatal, according to WHO records. Indonesia is among a handful of countries where the virus is endemic, and local media have recently reported several H5N1 outbreaks in the country, including a recent one on the island of Bali.

Indonesia's latest H5N1 case pushes the WHO's global total for the disease to 535, including 316 deaths.

See also:

Mar 25 WHO statement

Mar 14 WHO statement

This week's top reads

  1. Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis

    Tests on respiratory samples were negative, but results were positive for the cerebrospinal fluid sample.

    Lisa Schnirring
    ICU monitors

  2. Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers

    The most common symptom reported by healthcare workers was fatigue.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    health worker in mask

  3. CIDRAP launches Vaccine Integrity Project to help safeguard US vaccine use

    The steering committee will make recommendations on how non-governmental groups can help ensure that vaccine use is evidence-based.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    MMR vaccine vial on table

  4. Tick-borne meat allergy may be related to urbanization in mid-Atlantic US

    The study identified open-space development and low population density as risk factors for Alpha-gal syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Lone star tick

  5. Top virologists urge world leaders to act on rising avian flu threat

    Global Virus Network scientists highlight the need for robust surveillance, enhanced biosecurity, and readiness for potential human-to-human viral transmission.

    Mary Van Beusekom

  6. US measles cases climb higher, approach 900

    Thirty states have cases, and 83% of infections are part of outbreaks, the largest centered  in West Texas.

    Lisa Schnirring
    young boy with measles

  7. New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine

    The mRNA vaccine targets all major clades of the H5 avian flu subtype.

    Stephanie Soucheray

  8. Quick takes: Mpox outbreak in Malawi, more H5N1 in Idaho and California dairy cows

    The cases in Malawi bring the number of African countries affected by mpox to 23.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. USDA withdraws proposal to reduce Salmonella in poultry

    The Biden-era rule would have prevented the sale of raw chicken or turkey with certain levels or strains of Salmonella.

    Chris Dall
    Raw poultry in processing plant

  10. 'On the precipice of disaster': Measles may be endemic in 25 years if vaccine uptake stays low, model predicts

    A 10% decline in vaccine uptake could lead to 11.1 million cases of the highly contagious illness in that timeframe.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Measles virus

Our underwriters