# 2233
CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) News, out of the University of Minnesota, has an excellent overview about what we know (and don't know) about the events in North Sumatra over the past couple of weeks.
I've just posted the opening paragraphs to Lisa Schnirring's story. Please follow the link to read the entire article.
Indonesia rules out H5N1 case cluster in Sumatra
Lisa Schnirring
Staff Writer
Aug 13, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – In an online statement posted yesterday, the Indonesian government said 12 villagers from North Sumatra who were hospitalized for suspected avian influenza symptoms had tested negative for the disease, dampening speculation about a possible case cluster.
The statement from the health ministry's avian flu committee, known as KOMNAS FBPI, was dated Aug 9, but appeared on the group's Web site yesterday. It said 12 villagers from Air Batu village tested negative for the H5N1 virus. All were being treated at Kisaran Hospital, except for a 7-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy who were at Adam Malik Hospital in Medan, the provincial capital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
The ministry's statement did not mention three deaths from suspicious symptoms that have been mentioned along with accounts of up to 13 sick patients in recent media reports. Yesterday, however, Chandra Syafei, an official from North Sumatra's health office, acknowledged that three people had died and said his office was on "extraordinary occurrence" alert status, according to a Jakarta Post report.
"The three people died following the discovery of dead poultry, but we don't know whether or not it [avian influenza] was the cause," Chandra told the Post. He said his office had not received autopsy reports from the health ministry.
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