The Jakarta Post, Makassar, Semarang, Bandung, Cirebon
Four suspected bird flu patients were admitted Tuesday to Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi, raising the number of patients treated there to five within two days.
The five, including three children -- Ardi, 11, Fatimah, 2, and Putri, 22 months -- come from the same area, namely Tamamaung village in Panakkukang district, Makassar.
They were sent to the hospital after coming down with similar symptoms: a high fever and breathing problems.
A team of doctors treating the patients said quick test results found that one was infected with influenza virus type A, the species to which avian flu viruses belong.
Team member Bob Wahyudi said the test results could not be taken to mean that the patient had bird flu, however.
The team has sent blood and mucus samples to Jakarta to determine whether the patient has the disease.
""We are still waiting for the results of the laboratory tests,"" Bob said.
In Semarang, Central Java, a 22-month-old baby was rushed to an isolation room at Kariadi Hospital on Monday night with a suspected case of bird flu. The baby, identified as Budi Chandra, is the son of Suripah, 26, a resident of Bambankerep in Ngaliyan district, Semarang. Suripah was admitted to the hospital earlier on Monday for similar symptoms.
Besides Suripah and Budi, the hospital is treating Mustofa, 51, a resident of Bangunharjo, Semarang. Another suspected bird flu patient treated at the hospital has recovered and gone home.
Hussein Gasem, head of Kariadi Hospital's Infectious Disease Emergency Team, said family members had disclosed that Suripah had close contact with poultry before coming down with a high fever and cough.
""Before being admitted to the hospital Budi had suffered from a high fever, with a temperature reaching 39 degrees Celsius, for three days. He was briefly treated at Tugu Hospital before being sent to Kariadi Hospital,"" Hussein said.
The team is also awaiting the results of blood and mucus tests from Jakarta.
""It will take up to three days to get the results,"" he said.
Meanwhile, an order from the central government to cull fowls infected with the bird flu virus to help prevent the spread of the deadly disease has gotten mixed responses from regional administrations in West Java.
A number of regencies said it was difficult to conduct mass culls due to the limited availability of funds to compensate owners and the absence of necessary regulations.
Regions which have not begun culling include Cirebon mayoralty, Cirebon regency and Indramayu regency.
""We will wait for a gubernatorial decree. It's difficult for us to implement the culling without being backed up by a legal instrument,"" Heri Rinaldi of the Cirebon Animal Husbandry Office said Monday.
While waiting for the decree to be issued, Heri said that his office had deployed vaccination teams to villages.
""At least 370 vaccination officers have been sent to the villages to launch mass vaccination activities and spread information on the need to maintain sanitation around poultry breeding hatches,"" he said.
West Java legislators and officials of the provincial livestock husbandry office are also questioning a decrease in the supply of bird flu vaccine from the central government, at a time when the virus is spreading.
This year West Java needed more than 90 million doses of vaccine to protect about 33 million chickens, birds and ducks, but the central government gave it only 10 million doses, said legislator Syarief Bastaman in Bandung on Tuesday. That was a drop from the 18 million doses sent out last year, he added.
In 2005, he said, West Java got 24 million doses.
""We're asking, why is that? The government reduces the supply when it's really needed,"" Syarief said.
Nana M. Adnan of the West Java Livestock Husbandry Office said at least Rp 24 billion (US$2.52 million) was needed to buy the other 76 million doses of vaccine.
