Indonesia has publicly declared the Avian Bird Flu to be an epidemic in the south east asian country. Authorities have said they are reluctant to call
it a "frightening epidemic" but admit that the current outbreak can now be described as an epidemic.
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Indonesia has described an outbreak of bird flu in its capital Jakarta as an epidemic after a five-year-old girl suspected of having the virus
died.
Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said sporadic human cases of bird flu had surfaced in recent months in and around parts of Jakarta, home to 12
million people.
"This can be described as an epidemic. These (cases) will happen again as long as we cannot determine the source," Ms Supari said, but she insisted
it would be wrong to label it a "frightening epidemic".
Four Indonesians are already confirmed to have died in recent months from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed a total of
64 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and has spread to Russia and Europe.
The UN health agency last week warned bird flu was moving towards a form that could be passed between human beings and the world had no time to waste
to prevent a pandemic.
Ms Supari said the girl who died earlier in a Jakarta hospital today had been suspected of suffering from the virus.
At least six other patients are in the same hospital suspected of having avian flu.
Sadly it seems they are correct, this current outbreak is out of control and hopefully it will not become more easily transmissible before answers and
cures are readily available.
