Test results from the Health Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Health and the Eijkman Insitute in Jakarta have confirmed that AS, a 28-year old female from Banjar Batu Gaing, Baraban, Kediri, Tabanan District in Bali is the most recent confirmed H5N1 case in Indonesia.
In total, Bali has now recorded two cases, with two fatalities. Overall, Indonesia has now recorded 105 confirmed human H5N1 cases and 84 fatalities. The case fatality rate now stands at 80%.
As of yet, there is no cure for avian influenza. The anti-viral drug Oseltamivir is a treatment, but not a cure. The most effective way to protect oneself from bird flu is to prevent being infected by the virus.
Exposure to sick birds remains the primary source of human infection with Bird Flu. It is advised for people not to keep poultry or for people who keep poultry to keep their birds well away from home. Be aware of sick poultry or sudden deaths in poultry around you. People are urged to learn more about of bird flu and to reduce their risk of contracting the virus by adopting clean and healthy behaviors:
Don?t touch sick or dead chickens. If you have had contact with sick or dead chickens, promptly wash your hands with soap and report the incident to your village head.
Wash your hands and cooking appliances with soap before cooking. Cook chicken and eggs well.
Separate poultry from humans. And also separate new poultry from existing poultry flocks for 2 weeks.
Go to a Public Health Center or Hospital immediately if you have flu and fever symptoms after having contact with poultry/chicken.
AS experienced onset of illness on August 2007. She was examined at Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar on 13 August 2007 suffering from breathing difficulty. AS worked for a chicken trader. Rapid test conducted at the woman?s workplace showed that the chickens are H5N1 positive.
This report was received by The Center for Public Communication at the Ministry of Health (Moh) from the Bird Flu Information Center, Directorate General of Communicable Disease Control & Environmental at the Ministry of Health on August_16, 2007.
This information is published by The Center for Public Communication, Secretariat General MOHRI. For further information, please call 021-522 3002 and 5296 0661