# 1246
Note: After nearly 24 hours, my ISP appears to have their network problems solved. Yesterday was a bad day to be cut off from the world.
While the mainstream media's eyes all seem focused on the outbreak of H5 at a turkey/duck farm in the UK, most of the newshounds on the flu forums are watching the developments in Riau.
The local media, almost all of it reported in the Bahasa language, has been filled with frequent, sometimes contradictory reports, regarding possible human cases in Riau for the past week. These reports all suffer from the uncertainties brought on by machine translations into English, and inconsistent reporting habits by these news agencies.
It is hard to know how much to take seriously.
Despite a glaring lack of official comment, there does appear to be something going on in Riau Province.
Were it not for the newshounds, furiously working to decipher these foreign language reports, we'd have little clue that anything was going on.
What we know, or at least suspect, is :
- Last week a 31 year-old hospital administrator named Muhammad Nabih fell ill and died. He was confirmed to have died of bird flu on Saturday.
- Last Friday, either 5 or 6 of his neighbors were ill, hospitalized, and suspected of having bird flu symptoms. Very quickly authorities released information that these suspects had tested negative.
- The WHO has, according to local reporting, sent an investigative team to Riau. I've seen no confirmation of that from official sources.
- Now, it is being widely reported that the wife of this fatality, identified as M, has been hospitalized with bird flu symptoms after having taken her husbands body to Tebing Tinggi for burial.
- Additionally, there are other reports that a nephew, age 10 months, may also be ill.
- Thus far, no link to poultry has been established with any of these cases.
- There remain unanswered questions regarding the health of Muhammad's neighbors, despite their `negative tests'.
As far as the English language media is concerned, all we've heard since the death of Muhammad has been that this morning, his wife is hospitalized.
Indonesian woman showing signs of bird flu
Last Updated 13/11/2007, 20:12:31
Indonesian health officials say a 30 year old woman has been admitted to hospital after showing symptoms of bird flu.
The case comes only days after her husband was confirmed as the 91st bird flu fatality in Indonesia.
Officials say the woman from the island of Sumatra and named Nasniati, was admitted to hospital after showing signs of the H5N1 virus.
The country's bird flu information centre says it's not yet clear if the couple had been in direct contact with infected poultry, a common way for the humans to contract the virus.
The first line of this reports is very telling; "According to Indonesian officials . . . ".
That appears to be the litmus test these days before reports make it into the English media. They seem to be waiting for `official confirmation', despite local media reports indicating more activity than has been acknowledged.
Contrast this paucity of information to some excerpts from the Indonesian media, translated by our newshounds, in the past 24 hours. A hat tip to Pixie on the Wiki for posting this translation.
The mother and the Nephew from Sergai Suspect Flu Burung Dibawa to RSUP HAM
Nop 12, 2007
Medan (SIB) - Mother had the initials N (30) and his nephew had the initials NN that just was 10 months old from the Dolok Masihul Serdang Bedagei Subdistrict (Sergai) was expected suspect bird flu was run off with to RSUP H Adam Malik Medan, on Sunday (11/11). Up to now both of them still in the maintenance in space of the isolation of the bird flu building of RSUP HAM.
Till Monday (12/11) conditions both of them began to improve. The temperature of the temperature of the patient N achieved 37 levels celsius, trombosit still in the normal limit reached 214.000/mm3, HB him 11,9/mm3, but Leucositnya seldom boasted 16.400/mm3. Results fotothoraks, to his lungs did not appear to have the deviation, the public's situation improved, whereas to the child NN, the temperature 37 levels celsius, trombosit him 214.000/mm3, Leucositnya 7400/mm3 and HB him 9.3. The child still in the photograph inspection thoraks but the situation generally improves.
The story tertular him the two people still could not be ascertained came from where, but according to information that was accepted, both of them tertular was talked about came from one of his relatives who died also it was suspected suspect bird flu that came from outside the North Sumatran Province.
Post the burial of his relatives, several days afterwards N experienced the illness similar to the sign of bird flu was followed also with this child, but as far as this is concerned concerning the origin terjangkit him the two people still could not be ascertained.
Kahumas RSUP HAM Sinar Ginting that it was confirmed justified the entry of the two patients. Said, the situation of the two patients began to improve after receiving the intensive maintenance. (M.-36/k)
Despite the awkward machine translation, this article has a good deal of content.
And this next report appears to show that the WHO is setting up a special investigation team in Riau, something that one would think would be news worthy.
A hat tip to dbg on the Wiki for posting this article.
Sinar Harapan on special observation teams
WHO The Form Of The Team Of The Special Observer Of Bird Flu.
Pekanbaru-Badan Health of the World or the World Health Organization (WHO) will form the team of the special observer of bird flu in Riau.
That following increasingly the increase in this case. The Sub- Dinas head (Kasubdin) the Kesehatan Service and the Nutrient of Dinkes Riau Burhanuddin Agung to the reporter in Pekanbaru, on Sunday (11/11), justified that.
He said from results of the meeting with Sunday morning with WHO, Balit-bangkes (the Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Kesehatan Body) the Department of Health, Subdirektorat Surveilent Department of Health, as well as the Zoonosis agency (the infection) was produced by the decision of the need was formed by the team of the special observer of bird flu in 11 regencies/the city in Riau. "The team of the special observer was assigned to do detection and supervision directly the development of the case of bird flu in each regency/the city," he said.
Moreover, he continued, the existence of this team could it was hoped anticipate the patient's mortality rate that infected the deadly virus H5N1. Through the team of this special observer, said Burhan, each community health centre could in Riau carry out the anticipation action take the form of rapid the diagnosis (the fast diagnosis) the patient who was expected infected bird flu.
Bottom line: I don't know how serious this situation is in Riau yet. The Indonesian government hasn't been exactly forthcoming with information, and the local media reports must always be taken with a grain of salt.
But cases do appear on the uptick in Indonesia right now, and the fatality rate from known bird flu infections remains over 80%.
Reason enough to want as much transparency and cooperation from the Indonesian Authorities that we can get.
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