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While the number of confirmed positive cases has not increased since the weekend (remains at 5), the number of `suspected’ cases of flu burung (bird flu) continue to increase around the country. Many of these cases are in outlying hospitals, and blood tests must be sent off to Jakarta, thereby creating a delay in getting results. Labs may also be backlogged given the number of cases and the necessity for performing multiple tests on each patient.
To date, newshounds following the local reporting on the situation, have managed to track 37 patients determined to have tested negative for the virus. Another 77 remain in the `suspected’ category. Exact numbers are impossible to obtain, and there appears to be no effort by anyone in authority to disseminate information. Each hospital apparently makes their own announcements. Or not.
Undoubtedly, many of the suspected cases will turn out to be something other than bird flu. That is to be expected. Seasonal flu, Dengue, and Malaria are all common ailments in that region of the world, and can mimic the H5N1 infection.
One of the cases that caught my eye over night is reported by MetroTVOnline. A hat tip to Dutchie on CE for finding this report.
Two most FLAT patients Yogyakarta BIRD FLU were treated INTENSIVE
Metrotvnews.com, Yogyakarta: two patients suspect bird flu in the Hospital (RS) Doctor Sardjito, Yogyakarta, till Thursday early afternoon (18/1), still was treated intensively.
The team of the Control of RS Sardjito Bird Flu was still continuing to monitor the condition for the two flattest patients bird flu from Bantul, Yogyakarta, this.
Both of them were still being waiting for results of the blood test in Jakarta that it was estimated will be accepted on Friday (19/1) tomorrow.
The two patients had the initials I, 25 years, and F, 6 years, was treated after being reconciled from RS the Bantul public.
The I patient began to be treated in RS Sardjito since last Wednesday morning. While F began to be treated since Tuesday afternoon.
The chairman of the team of the control of RS Sardjito bird flu stated, both of them were expected infected the bird flu virus after results of x-raying their lungs showed the sign that was the same as bird flu.
Yogyakarta is located some 275 miles (443 km) ESE of Jakarta in a small, but densely populated province in south central Java. What makes these two patients more suspect than usual are their lung x-rays, which apparently show signs indicative of a severe pulmonary infection.
Normally, we see patients reported as `suspected’ bird flu, not `expected’. We should know more in the next day or two.
We are seeing reports of other hospitals reporting suspected cases, but few details are available. The good news is, we have yet to see any large influx of patients.
Meanwhile, the central government has announced an expansion of their ban on backyard and residential poultry and bird keeping. This from the dpa German News Agency.
Indonesia issues more restrictions to prevent spread of bird flu
Published: Thursday January 18, 2007
Jakarta- In an attempt to stop a sudden spike in bird flu
deaths, Indonesia on Thursday expanded a ban on backyard poultryfarms in residential areas to nine provinces.
The ban, which started earlier this week for the capital Jakarta and West Java and Banten provinces, now extends across Java, the world's most densely-populated island, and beyond, according to government officials.
The government also placed tight restrictions on the movement and sale of poultry and poultry products across the nine provinces, and is preparing more hospitals to treat human cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
Last week, four people died of bird flu after the country had gone nearly six weeks without a fatality, and two more people were being treated for the virus.
Home Affairs Minister Mohamad Ma'ruf sent a letter to Indonesia's 33 governors and hundreds of provincial district chiefs across the archipelago nation on Thursday ordering them to conduct periodic surveillance on poultry markets, as well as boost bio-security in order to contain the spread of the virus.
The nine high risk provinces are Jakarta, West Java, Banten,
Central and East Java, Lampung in southern Sumatra, North and West Sumatra and South Sulawesi.After a meeting Thursday morning to discuss bird flu prevention measures, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters that "step by step, the ban on non-commercial poultry farms in residential areas will be applied across the country."
It remains to be seen how well this initiative will be received by the public, and if the government can enforce it.
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