4 Indonesians die from bird flu, death toll climbs 119
Tuesday, 03 March 2009 09:25 Four Indonesians died from bird flu in February, bringing the country's total death toll from the disease to 119, officials said Four Indonesians died from bird flu in February, bringing the country's total death toll from the disease to 119, officials at the national bird flu commission said on Tuesday. "There were four cases and all four died in February," said Bayu Krisnamurthi, head of the national bird flu commission. Indonesian newspaper Republika also reported on Tuesday that two more deaths from the disease occurred at the weekend near the capital Jakarta -- a 5-year-old girl from Depok, and an 8-year-old boy from Bekasi. The national commission said that samples were being tested in Jakarta to verify the cause of death in both cases. Indonesia, which has stopped publishing updates of bird flu deaths immediately after they occur, has the highest toll from the disease of any nation. Experts fear that the virus might mutate into a form easily passed from human to human, sparking a pandemic which could kill millions. Source : Reuters
