TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Birdflu kills 11 over past 4 years
SEMARANG, C
Change Size
SEMARANG, C. Java: Eleven people died from bird flu between 2005 and November, 2008 in Central Java, an official said Thursday.
The head of the Central Java Health Agency's Environment Rehabilitation and Handling Unit, Djoko Mardijanto, said that the disease had widely spread in 10 regions in Central Java, including Semarang city, Magelang, Boyolali, Banjarnegara, Sukoharjo, Wonogiri, Grobogan, Kendal, Sragen and Semarang regencies.
According to the agency's data, there was one case of bird flu infecting a human in 2005. This increased to three cases in 2006, then five cases in 2007. 2008 has seen a decrease, with three cases detected as of November.
Six of the 12 victims died as they did not receive hospital for treatment in time. Djoko said that when they were finally admitted, they were in terrible condition and staff had to work hard to handle the fatal disease.
"Fifty percent of bird flu contaminations are caused by direct contact with poultry, while the other 50 percent is related to unhealthy environments," Djoko said, adding that the agency had distributed tamiflu, guide books on handling the disease and specially trained medical staff to clinics and hospital to help cope with any new cases. --JP
