An Indonesian girl died in a Jakarta hospital on Wednesday after suffering from bird flu symptoms, a doctor at the hospital said, two days after the government ordered a high alert against the disease.

Four Indonesians are already confirmed to have died from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed a total of 64 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and has spread to Russia and Europe. Sardikin, deputy chief of the government-designated hospital in Jakarta to treat bird flu patients, said the five-year-old girl was admitted on Tuesday.

"The symptoms were heavy pneumonia, the same as bird flu symptoms. Her family confirmed to us that she had contact with dead chickens," Sardikin told Reuters.

The girl had been treated in a different hospital for five days before being brought to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital.

Health Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment on whether the girl was one of at least six people the government had said was suspected of having bird flu.

Indonesia sends blood tests from all suspected bird flu cases to Hong Kong for confirmation.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday issued a set of instructions to government departments on fighting avian flu, the leading Kompas daily reported. These included fast action to deal with infected birds and people and the cordoning-off of areas where outbreaks occur.

The government has appealed for public calm over the virus, which has dominated local media in recent days.

On Monday, the government imposed a state of high alert, which gives authorities the power to order people showing symptoms of the virus to be hospitalised.