27 September 2006

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country´s 68th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The patient is a 20-year-old male from Bandung, West Java. He developed symptoms of fever and cough on 17 September and was hospitalized on 24 September. He remains hospitalized.

The man’s 23-year-old brother developed symptoms on 16 September. He died of respiratory disease on 24 September, two hours after admission to hospital. Infection with the H5N1 virus is suspected for the 23-year-old male, but cannot be confirmed as no samples were collected for testing. Both men had direct contact with dead chickens when feeding carcasses to their dogs. Local agricultural authorities also found evidence of H5 infection in household birds.

A third sibling, a 15-year-old female, was hospitalized on 25 September after developing symptoms of fever and cough. Initial test results received on 27 September were negative for the H5 virus subtype and positive for the H1 subtype, indicating an infection with normal seasonal influenza. She remains hospitalized in a stable condition.

Of the 68 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 51 have been fatal.