From rxpgnews.com
Indonesia confirmed another human case of H5N1 avian influenza
By WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
Oct 13, 2005, 15:22
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed another human case of H5N1 avian influenza. The patient, a 21-year-old man from Lampung, Sumatra, developed symptoms on 20 September and was hospitalized on 24 September. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Confirmatory testing was conducted at a WHO reference laboratory in Hong Kong. Initial investigation has revealed that the man had direct exposure to diseased and dying chickens in his household shortly before the onset of illness. Further field investigations are under way to determine whether family members and other close contacts may have been infected. His 4-year old nephew who lived about 100 metres away developed AI-like symptoms and now being hospitalized at the reference provincial hospital.
The man is the fifth laboratory-confirmed case of H5N1 infection in Indonesia. Three of these cases were fatal.
Test results are awaited for some additional patients who have shown symptoms compatible with H5N1 infection.
Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, however pointed out that, �It is important to note that at this stage current investigations in Indonesia have produced no evidence that the H5N1 virus is spreading easily from human-to-human. However, each new event or additional case brings humanity closer to a situation that may lead to a pandemic.�
Dr Jai P Narain, Director, Communicable Disease Department said a positive step was that the newly confirmed case was picked up quickly by Indonesia�s health care system (and government), and has been reported rapidly to WHO. Since Indonesia�s first confirmed AI case earlier this year, AI awareness throughout the health care system and the government has clearly been raised.
Dr Narain said, �WHO�s advice to people in Indonesia and in countries with suspected H5N1 is that they should regard a dead chicken/bird as a red flag to be reported to responsible authorities. The public is advised to avoid contact with sick/dead poultry in those countries. People are also reminded of the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices, like hand washing and consuming poultry products which are cooked thoroughly in such circumstances�.
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