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View all search resultsDoctors in Bandarlampung suspect two people from Way Laga, Panjang, of being infected by bird flu, and are observing another eight from the same village
Doctors in Bandarlampung suspect two people from Way Laga, Panjang, of being infected by bird flu, and are observing another eight from the same village.
Head of the Avian Influenza team at the Abdul Moeloek General Hospital in Bandarlampung Pad Dilangga said his team was providing maximum treatment to patients and holding them for further inspection even though they were still just suspects.
"Two patients fled the hospital earlier, sparking panic among their neighbors. We then forcefully fetched them and they are now undergoing treatment at another isolation room," Dilangga said Friday.
Dilangga said the two patients, identified as Lala, 20, and Karniti, 52, showed symptoms of contracting the H5N1 virus, such as high fever, difficulty in breathing, coughing and blood running from their noses.
"We are still observing and treating the other eight patients at the moment," he said.
Lampung health agency head Wiwiek Ekameini said her office could not yet ascertain whether to categorize the outbreak as endemic in Lampung.
"I can't yet say. Just wait for the lab results," said Wiwiek.
Wiwiek said her office had recorded 61 suspected bird flu patients in Lampung since 2005, three of them positive.
"The three cases occurred last year. They were eventually cured after undergoing treatment at the hospital.
She added the virus spread especially fast during the rainy season and in cool conditions, when it could last for 22 days.
Head of the husbandry office at the Bandarlampung Agricultural Agency veterinarian Sri Suharyati said bird flu risk areas in Bandarlampung included Panjang, Sukarame and West Telukbetung. He said dead poultry found in the three districts had been positively found infected with the bird flu virus.
"We determined the virus attacked the birds. We have focused disease containment in Panjang and are monitoring other districts," she said.
The bird flu scare in Lampung started earlier this month after the sudden death of poultry in East Lampung and South Lampung regencies and Bandarlampung city. The deaths of more than 10,000 chickens in 18 villages in East Lampung sparked panic among residents.
Head of the local health office Reihana said that initially, two patients, Santibi, 43, and his child Imas Supriana, 10, had been referred to the hospital by the Panjang community health center.
Staff from the health office visited Way Laga in Panjang and found eight patients with signs of bird flu, and immediately brought them to the hospital.
They were identified as siblings Sutihat, 8, and Ahmad Dani, 8 months; father and son Nurdin, 52, and Hariyanto, 11; and Aminah, 20, Febi, 2, Karniti, 42, and Lala, 20. All were treated at the community health center except the latter two, who went home because they refused to be referred to the hospital.
Reihana said her office had intensified examination on those who had direct contact with the dead birds.
Way Laga village chief Amir Hamzah said many residents were slow to respond despite the call from the health office to immediately burn the dead birds.
"They left the dead birds lying around. We had to gather and burn them," said Hamzah.
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