Friday, June 16, 2006

Indonesia records 37th bird flu death

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed an Indonesian teenager who died last week was infected with bird flu, taking the country's total deaths from the virus to 37.

Indonesia has seen a steady rise in human infections and deaths since its first known outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in late 2003.

It has infected 48 Indonesians so far and the country has the second highest total bird flu deaths in the world.

Indonesia's government has been criticised by some experts for what is perceived as its lack of resolve in stamping out the H5N1 virus.

Unlike neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam, which have conducted mass culls to get rid of sources of infection, Indonesia has only carried out selective culling and only in places where there are known outbreaks of H5N1.

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