Indonesian man dies of bird flu

Indonesian man dies of bird flu

An Indonesian man died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu after coming into contact with his neighbor's infected chickens, a senior health official said Friday, citing local laboratory tests.

A swab and blood sample from the 30-year-old man have been sent to a World Health Organization-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong for confirmation, said Hariadi Wibisono, a director at the Health Ministry.

If confirmed, the man's death will raise Indonesia's human toll from H5N1 to 25, Wibisono said, reports the AP.

I.L.