Indonesia: confirms 51st bird flu death

A nine-year-old boy has been confirmed as Indonesia´s 51st human bird flu fatality, a health ministry official said.

The boy died on September 22 and test results from two laboratories confirmed he was infected with the H5N1 virus, a doctor on duty at the national bird flu center in Jakarta told AFP Sunday.

He identified the laboratories as the ministry of health´s laboratory and that of the US Naval Medical Research Unit (Namru).

The boy died shortly after he was admitted to the Sulianti Saroso hospital, the capital´s main center for bird flu treatment, said the doctor, who declined to be named.

The latest death brought the overall toll in Indonesia from H5N1 to 51, the highest reported anywhere in the world.