Avian Influenza
Human bird flu deaths rise to 21 in Indonesia
By IANS
Mar 6, 2006, 17:26

A four-year-old Indonesian boy who died this week was infected with bird flu, a health official confirmed Saturday, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to 21.

Wahyu Kurniawan, who died Tuesday at a hospital in Semarang, central Java, tested positive for the disease, said Hariadi Wibosono, the health ministry's director for the control of animal-borne diseases.

"I have received the confirmation this morning, he was positive (for the) bird flu virus," Wibosono told DPA Saturday, adding that the boy was Indonesia's 21st fatality. However, he said the result would have to be confirmed by World Health Organisation (WHO) labs.

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