Indonesia reports 7th bird flu casualty

Jakarta, Indonesia (AHN) – Indonesia on Wednesday reported its seventh bird flu casualty after a 2-year-old boy died from the virus in Riau province on the island of Sumatra.

Rita Kusriastuti, of the health ministry, said two laboratory tests confirmed the toddler, who died on April 27, had the H5N1 virus. His death brings the total number of deaths to 157 since 2005 when the virus first attacked the country.

Kusriastuti told Chinese news agency Xinhua that the boy was admitted to a nearby health clinic on April 20 when he suffered fever, the initial symptoms of the avian flu.

---

---