Bird flu claims ninth victim in Indonesia
Bird flu has killed a 37-year-old man in central Indonesia, marking the country’s ninth fatality this year.
The health ministry’s website reported today that the man died in Yogyakarta province on July 30 after being hospitalised for five days.
The ministry confirmed the man, who lived near a chicken slaughterhouse, was infected with the H5N1 virus after apparently coming into contact with sick birds.
The virus, which began ravaging poultry across Asia in 2003, remains entrenched in Indonesia.
Experts fear it could mutate into a form that passes easily among people, potentially sparking a pandemic.
But most human cases have been linked to contact with sick birds.
The World Health Organization says 359 people have died from it worldwide.
Indonesia remains the hardest-hit country, accounting for 159 deaths.
Category: Health
