A 30-YEAR-OLD INDONESIAN MAN HAS DIED OF BIRD FLU, A SENIOR HEALTH MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID ON FRIDAY, CITING THE RESULTS OF LOCAL TESTS, REUTERS REPORTED. HIS BLOOD SAMPLES HAVE BEEN SENT TO A WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION-AFFILIATED LABORATORY IN HONG KONG FOR CONFIRMATION, HARIADI WIBISONO, A DIRECTOR AT THE HEALTH MINISTRY, TOLD REUTERS. LOCAL TESTS ARE NOT CONSIDERED DEFINITIVE. IF CONFIRMED BY THE HONG KONG LABORATORY, THE MAN WHO DIED ON WEDNESDAY WOULD BE INDONESIA'S 25TH DEATH FROM THE H5N1 VIRUS, WHICH IS ENDEMIC IN POULTRY IN THE WORLD'S FOURTH MOST POPULOUS NATION. "WE HAVE ANOTHER POSITIVE LOCAL TEST ON A 30-YEAR-OLD MAN. HE HAD A HISTORY OF CONTACT WITH SICK CHICKENS NEAR HIS HOUSE. HE DIED ON APRIL 26," WIBISONO TOLD REUTERS. "WE JUST RECEIVED THE RESULT THIS MORNING AND THE SAMPLES HAVE BEEN SENT TO HONG KONG." CONTACT WITH INFECTED BIRDS IS THE MOST COMMON MEANS OF TRANSMISSION OF THE BIRD FLU VIRUS IN HUMANS. SO FAR, THE WHO HAS CONFIRMED 24 HUMAN DEATHS FROM THE VIRUS IN INDONESIA. SCIENTISTS FEAR THE VIRUS COULD MUTATE AND SPREAD EASILY FROM PERSON TO PERSON, TRIGGERING A PANDEMIC.
