Bird flu claims another life in Indonesia

[News_Editor]

Bird flu claims another life in Indonesia

2012-02-26 09:18:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (BNO NEWS) -- A 12-year-old boy has died of bird flu on the Indonesian island of Bali, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to 154 since 2005, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday.

According to a press release from the ministry, the boy, identified only as DWM from Badung regency, fell ill on February 11. He was rushed to the nearest hospital four days later because his feverish condition had shown no signs of improvement, the Jakarta Post reported.

The boy's condition continued to worsen until the boy passed away on Tuesday, officials said. The ministry had deployed officials to screen the family house but could not find definitive evidence to confirm the origin of the bird flu.

DWM is the fourth person to die of bird flu in Indonesia this year, according to official figures. To date, the country's ministry has recorded 186 bird flu cases with 154 cases resulting in death.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the bird flu virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared, killing 331 of them. Most cases and deaths were recorded in Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and China.

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