By RIA Novosti
Jakarta : Indonesia’s health ministry confirmed that a 14 year-old girl from west Jakarta has contracted bird flu, the nation’s 127th case of the disease, the national ANTARA news agency said on Wednesday.
Tests revealed that the girl was infected by the deadly H5N1 virus and is currently in intensive care. The girl’s mother, who is also infected with bird flu, is also in hospital, but her condition is said to be improving.
The source of the infection has yet to be established. The health ministry earlier said that the family kept poultry in their backyard, while latest reports say they were infected after visiting relatives.
Indonesia has the world’s highest death rate from bird flu with 103 people or one third of the global death toll, with 80% of cases in Indonesia being traced to the Jakarta region. The number of infections traditionally rises during the monsoon period and floods.