WHO Confirms 109th Indonesian Avian Flu Case
The World Health Organization has recently confirmed the 109th case of avian H5N1 influenza in Indonesia. A 12-year-old Indonesian boy, from the Tangerang district in Banten province, bordering the capital Jakarta, was admitted to a hospital on Oct. 8 with bird flu symptoms. He was transferred to Persahabatan Hospital in Jakarta, which is designated to treat bird flu patients, a day later, a ministry statement said.
Indonesia has now recorded 109 human cases of bird flu and 87 deaths, both totals are the highest in the world. At least 201 people have died of the disease in 11 countries in Asia and Africa, according to WHO statistics.
The most common way to contact the H5N1 virus is through contact with sick fowl. Although bird flu remains an animal disease, experts fear the virus could mutate into a form easily spread among humans, triggering a pandemic that could kill millions.
For more information, visit www.who.int/en/.