The Indonesian Health Ministry reported today 28 new type-A influenza (H1N1) or swine flu cases, bringing the total number of sufferers in Indonesia to 444, including one fatality, ANTARA reported. The Ministry said the 28 new cases happened in seven provinces, namely Jakarta (13 ), East Java (5 ), Yogyakarta (3), West Java (3), Banten (2), Bali (1), and North Sulawesi (1). The 28 swine flu-infected people are Indonesian nationals, and four of them had earlier traveled to Singapore and Thailand. The Health Ministry`s Director General of Disease Control and Sanitation, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said swine flu had now made victims in 15 provinces, namely Bali, Banten, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, Riau Island, North Sulawesi, South Sumatera, North Sumatera, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and Jambi. He said swine flu spreads fast because the virus was communicated from human to human through direct contact, coughing or items touched by infected people. The disease could be fatal but globally the number of deaths due to the type-A influenza was still very small, namely 0.4 percent. In Indonesia, of the total 444 cases, only one person had died so far, he said. The first H1N1 case in Indonesia was found on June 24, 2009. According to the Health Ministry, two swine flu victims were found on June 24, six on June 29, 12 on July 4, eight on July 7, 24 on July 9, 12 on July 12, 22 on July 13, 26 on July 14, 30 on July 15, 15 on July 16, 15 on July 20, 67 on July 22, 83 on July 23, 21 on July 24, 19 on July 25, 54 on July 27 and 28 on July 28 and 29. The government, he said, has been doing its best to prevent the spread of the disease and continued to monitor it at ports while naming reference hospitals and preparing antiviral medication.
