Lab tests show woman died of avian influenza: Committee

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 08/14/2007 1:13 PM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Denpasar

Health officials confirmed Monday the 29-year-old woman who died Sunday in Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar, Bali, died of bird flu.

""Results of the patient's laboratory tests were positive, confirming that she died of avian influenza,"" said Bayu Krisnamurthi, chief executive of the Indonesian National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (Komnas FBPI).

The laboratory tests were conducted by the Research and Development Center at the Health Ministry and Eyckman Laboratory in Jakarta.

The woman, identified only as SW, was from Dangin Tukad Aye village, Negara district in Jembrana regency. She is the first woman to have died from the avian influenza virus in Bali since it spread to the resort island in 2003.

Her death has taken Indonesia's bird flu death toll to 82 out of 103 cases reported.

A local husbandry ordinance designed to prevent H5N1-infected poultry from reaching the island was revoked early last month by the Home Ministry.

The ministry said the bylaw had contributed to a high-cost economy and was unfriendly to investment.

The bylaw imposed fees on any animal entering Bali, including husbandry animals such as chickens and cows. It required owners to have permits and health certificates for their animals before they were allowed onto the island.

Bali's administration lodged a protest with the central government, asking for the ordinance to be revised and not revoked.

SW lived some 300 meters from the location of chickens that reportedly died of bird flu. She was taken to hospital after experiencing a high fever and breathing difficulties last Saturday, three days after she had contact with the dead fowl.

SW's five-year-old daughter, Dian, also died on August 3 after reportedly suffering similar symptoms.

Bayu said SW's two-year-old neighbor, identified as KPN, was suspected of having bird flu symptoms and was being treated at the Sanglah Hospital.

""The patient's condition has improved and the results of her laboratory test are being processed,"" he said.

The doctor in-charge, however, said according to blood and X-ray exams, KPN could be suffering from a common cold.

Bali administration conducted a mass culling last month after hundreds of chickens reportedly died of bird flu.

To control the traffic of farm animals to and from Bali and to prevent further the spread of bird flu, the administration has since 2005 prohibited people from bringing live chickens to the island.

Bali's governor Dewa Made Berata said his administration's economy had been adversely affected by the first bird flu death in his province and ordered the husbandry and health agencies to immediately follow up the case.

Berata ordered an examination of residences and a mass culling of birds within a one kilometer radius of the victim's house.

The latest case may further tarnish the image of Bali's tourism industry, which is still recovering from 2002 and 2005 terror attacks.

Berata criticized the performance of the husbandry and health agencies for their lack of transparency.

The virus had been detected in poultry populations in Bali's eight regencies.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.