Teenagers Fell Victim to H5N1 Avian Influenza

Teenagers Fell Victim to H5N1 Avian Influenza



Aug. 2007  - Teenagers in both Indonesia 
and Vietnam fell victim to H5N1 avian influenza this month. A 17 year old 
girl from Tangerang District in Banten Province is the Indonesia's latest 
human bird flu death, the Ministry of Health announced today. The most 
recent Vietnamese fatality was a teenage student who died during the first 
week of August. 
The Indonesian girl developed symptoms on August 9. She was hospitalized 
on August 13 and died in hospital the following day. The source of her 
exposure is currently under investigation. 
Of the 104 human cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 83 have been fatal. 

On Monday, Indonesian health authorities confirmed the first human bird 
flu death on the island of Bali, raising concerns that fear of the disease 
might have an impact on tourism, the island's economic mainstay.

  
A resident of the Jembrana District, the 29 year old woman died on the 
weekend. Her five year old daughter died on August 3 after suffering 
flu-like symptoms. 
The child's body was cremated before samples were taken for testing, but 
officials said it could be "assumed" she died due of the virus. 
Investigations into the source of her infection indicate she had contact 
with sick and dead poultry. 
A two year old girl who lives in the same village as this family is not 
infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus, the Ministry of Health confirmed 
today. 
The two year old fell ill on Aug 10 with symptoms of fever and a runny 
nose and samples were taken for testing as a precaution. Testing at two 
laboratories in Jakarta have confirmed that the girl does not carry the 
H5N1 virus, health officials said. 
Investigators have determined that both children were exposed to H5N1 
positive birds in the area. 
Supported by the United Nations, authorities are taking action to contain 
the outbreak on Bali, including the mass culling of birds in the area and 
educational activities to improve public awareness about bird flu. 
In Vietnam, the Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday they have detected 
a avian influenza outbreak in the northern province of Cau Ban bordering 
China. It is the country's second infection of bird flu virus among 
poultry so far this month. 
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has infected seven people in Vietnam so far 
this year, four of whom have died.
Most recently, a 15 year old male student became ill and died of the 
disease in early August, the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported.


The victim's family had kept ducks at their home in Thanh Hoa province, 
south of the capital, Hanoi. 
Since the start of the most recent bird flu outbreak in late 2003, 46 
people have died in Vietnam out of 100 confirmed human infections, the 
Health Ministry said. 
Once the nation worst hit by bird flu, Vietnam has contained earlier 
outbreaks through mass vaccination campaigns, the culling of millions of 
poultry, and public education initiatives. 
But the virus resurfaced earlier this year, especially among waterfowl, 
hitting scores of poultry farms in an outbreak that at its peak in May 
spread to 18 of the country's 64 provinces and municipalities. 
As of this week, only three provinces remained affected, and 160 million 
head of poultry had received bird flu shots in the year's first round of 
vaccinations which was ongoing or finished in all provinces, health 
officials said. 
Worldwide, of 320 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu, 194 people have 
died, according to the World Health Organization in Geneva. 
Experts fear the global death toll could soar if the virus were to mutate 
and become easily transmissible between humans, leading to a global 
pandemic with the potential to kill millions. 
Earlier this month, World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl said 
global bird flu cases appeared to have stabilized among humans but that 
several developing nations had not been able to stop the spread of the 
disease among poultry and domesticated birds. 
"The number of human cases of bird flu appears to be stable when compared 
to the same period last year," Hartl told Agence France Presse. 
"Human to human transmission are very rare. We think there have been three 
cases - in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Indonesia. And each time the person has 
had prolonged and direct contact with an affected person," said Hartl. 
James Adams, World Bank vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, told 
reporters in Hanoi on August 7 that the threat of bird flu still exists.


"The magnitude of the challenge in this region is exceptional because this 
is a region where livestock lives in close proximity to the human 
population," Adams said. 
"We are trying to emphasize from the development side that the needs of 
the veterinary systems and the health systems do need to be pushed and 
have to be reinforced." 
Until now, sick birds remain the primary source of human infection with 
the H5N1 virus. There are steps everyone can take to reduce the risk of 
infection, health officials say. 
Do not touch sick or dead chickens, they advise. If you have had contact 
with sick or dead chickens, promptly wash your hands with soap and report 
the incident to local authorities. Wash hands and cooking appliances with 
soap before cooking, and cook chicken and eggs until well done. 
Separate poultry from humans. Also separate new poultry from existing 
poultry flocks for two weeks. Go to a public health center or hospital 
immediately with flu and fever symptoms that occur after contact with 
poultry or chicken. 
For avian influenza information from the World Health Organization, click 
here. 

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