Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 35

3 October 2006

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country’s 69th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The case is a 21-year-old female from East Java Province. She developed symptoms on 19 September and was hospitalized on 25 September. She remains hospitalized.

She is the sister of a confirmed H5N1 case, an 11-year-old male who died on 18 September. Following that fatal case, health authorities initiated contact tracing, and on 24 September they received reports of symptoms in the sister. In line with the national protocol, she was immediately given the antiviral drug, oseltamivir, and isolated in hospital.

The source of her infection is presently under investigation. Poultry deaths in the family's household were noted both before and during the illness of the brother. The woman was likely exposed to these poultry as well as to her brother.

Of the 69 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 52 have been fatal.