Bird flu claims more victims
2006-03-10 20:33
Jakarta - Two Indonesian children have died of bird flu, bringing the country's toll to 22, officials said on Friday, citing test results from World Health Organisation-approved laboratories.
Health minister Siti Fadilah Supari said a 12-year-old girl died on March 1 in Solo, a city in Central Java province.
Earlier, Hariadi Wibisono, who works in the same ministry, said a three-year-old boy died after being hospitalised for nearly a week in the city of Semarang, also in Central Java.
Laboratories in Hong Kong and the United States confirmed that the two had the H5N1 (bird flu) virus that has killed 97 people worldwide, the officials said.
Both victims appeared to have had contact with infected chickens.
- AP