Three Fatal Suspect H5N1 Bird Flu Cases in Lampung Sumatra
Recombinomics Commentary
June 14, 2006
In three successive days, from Friday (9/6) up to Sunday (11/6), three children from one family died. Expected, because in the surrounding environment the death of the poultry especially the chicken, had happened they died because of AI.
"But we were still continuing to prove the cause of the death of three children. Because of this death his characteristics cluster or mengelompok with the story of the death of the poultry around it," said Ayla Kayrus, the Section Head the Prevention and Observation of the Lampung Illness of the Health Service that was contacted per the telephone, on Tuesday (13/6).
Ayla said, Yudha (4) died on Friday (9/6) struck 09.00 now his twins Yudhi (4) died on Saturday (10/6) struck 16.00. Both of them died in their house in the Sweet Pandanus Village, the Village of the Pawpaw Gutter, the Wonosobo Subdistrict, the Tanggamus Regency. Now the older brother, Misyani (5) died in RS Abdul Moeloek (RSAM) Banda Lampung, on Sunday (11/6) struck 17.20.
"Because the twin died in the house, the team survailance from the Community Health Centre and the Health Service of Tanggamus could not take the example of blood both of them. Now, the example of Masyani blood could be taken," said Ayla.
The above translations describes the death of three suspected H5N1 bird flu cases. Two of the siblings died at home, so no samples were collected, The third sibling died shortly after admittance and a serum sample is being tested.
Birds are reported to have died in the area, and last year there was a three member familial cluster that was H5N1 confirmed (although confirmation of the third case was via sero-conversion and was not reported until 4 months after initial reports). The cluster had a characteristic time gap between disease onset dates, indicating human to human transmission. The three family members survived.
The latest cluster is more typical of clusters in Indonesia, which have a very high case fatality rate. Surveillance in Indonesia is poor and failure to collect samples in index cases is common.
Media Sources
Map