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ANGERANG: The Tangerang regency Health Agency declared Thursday that two patients being treated at Tangerang General Hospital, earlier were suspected of suffering from bird flu, were found not to have the avian influenza virus.

"Laboratory tests of blood samples and X-rays of their lungs showed the residents of Sepatan district did not have bird flu," Yuli Sunar Dewanti, head of the agency's communicable diseases prevention and environmental sanitation department, said Thursday.

The two patients, who showed symptoms of bird flu when brought to hospital last week, underwent treatment in an isolated room until they were declared free of the virus Thursday morning.

They were suspected of having bird flu after dozens of fowl in their village died suddenly early this month.

Yuli said the symptoms of high fever and respiratory problems shown by the patients indicated they had suffered from acute respiratory infection (ISPA).

"ISPA has similar symptoms to bird flu," she said, adding the patients had testified they had no contact with fowl before falling sick.