# 568
If you’ve followed the Avian Flu story for very long, you’ve probably noticed that from time to time stories or news reports will appear in the media, often with a promise of more details to come, and then we never hear another word about them.
Last January I blogged about 22 suspicious deaths in the St. Carolus Hospital in Indonesia, deaths that some doctors ascribed to being similar to bird flu. A series of newspaper reports followed in the Jakarta Post demanding answers. An investigation was promised. Samples were sent to the CDC.
And since then, nothing.
Last month, the media reported on two children in Turkey suspected of H5N1 infection, and stated that results would be announced within 24 hours.
Two children hospitalized in Turkey on Bird Flu suspicion
Two children hospitalized in Turkey on Bird Flu suspicion
ISTANBUL, Feb 23 (KUNA) -- Two children of one family are undergoing bird flu medical tests after suffering fever and clear symptoms of the fatal disease.
The two children were admitted to the central hospital of Burdor province in southern Turkey, and were placed under intensive observation, NTV network quoted medical sources as saying Friday.
Blood samples were taken from the two suspected cases and the results of the tests will be announced within 24 hours, the sources added.
As far as I can tell, that was the last report we heard on those children.
During the month of February, news sources in Indonesia reported on several probable cases of Bird flu, including a policeman, and yet we have no follow up report. No announcement of negative results. No confirmations of positive results. Nothing.
Those stories have just vaporized. Vanished.
In fact, since the first of the year, Indonesian news sources have reported on over 300 suspected cases, and to date, only about 100 have been stated as having been negative by officials. The rest are either question marks, or already forgotten.
Granted, over the past couple of months Indonesia has been hit by massive floods, earthquakes, and a massive outbreak of Dengue fever. Newspaper reporters, and officials have been busy. Some stories are bound to slip through the cracks.
And no, I’m not suggesting the Indonesian officials are hiding 200 positive cases. It is pretty obvious that most of those cases were likely something other than bird flu. But among them were several deaths, and no explanation was ever offered.
Perhaps all of these cases proved negative, and to local reporters and officials, they no longer warranted mention. I suspect in a lot of cases, this is the likely explanation. At least I hope so.
But when stories just disappear, one can't help but wonder.
I’ve no doubt that in some parts of the world; pressure is put on reporters not to cover these stories. Bird flu is, after all, bad for the local economy, endangers tourism, and is a bit of an embarrassment to local officials.
Whether this disturbing trend can be attributed to sloppy reporting, a lack of resources to cover the story, or an intentional suppression of the news is impossible to say.
But I know I’d feel a lot better about the avian flu situation if we actually found out what became of these stories, and could put them to rest.
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