Bengkulu still on bird flu alert

Bengkulu, Sumatra - Bengkulu Province is still on alert of bird flu as H5N1 virus cases have been reported in every region in the province, a local official said.

"Although the number of bird flu cases does not increase, Bengkulu is still cautious of bird flu, and we ask the local residents to monitor their live poultry," Emran Kuswadi, Coordinator of Local Disease Control Center (LDCC), said here Tuesday.

Up to now, a total of 1,881 chickens had been dead because of bird flu virus, according to Emran.

Seven districts and cities have been particularly declared bird flu alert, namely Bengkulu, Seluma, Lebong, Bengkulu Tengah, Kepahiang, Kaur and Rejang Lebong districts.

The worst bird flu-affected district is Seluma where 1,175 chickens died of the H5N1 virus at two sub districts, he said.

The virus has infected almost 2,000 chickens in Bengkulu.

"So far, no bird flu case has been reported on human being," he said.

Meanwhile, in Padang West Sumatra, two children were suspected of having contracted bird flu , a doctor at M.Jamil general hospital said recently.

"The two patients are identified as Rifatul, 10, and Rafi Rizandi, six," Dr.Finny Fitri Yani said in Padang, in early March.

Rifatul had been hospitalized since February 26 while Rafi Rizandi was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday (March 2), she said.

Both of them were suspiciously infected by the bird flu symptoms, such as high fever. she said.

The doctors had taken their respective blood samples to be examined in laboratory in Jakarta to find out whether or not bird flu virus was the cause of the kids` ailment, she said.

Over the past three weeks of January 2011, bird flu has also infected chickens in Mugirejo village, Sungai Pinang subdistrict, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

source : antaranews.com