many deaths have gone unreported especially in the poorer remote regions

The official statistics from the Health Ministry of Indonesia show that the deadly bird flu virus has now claimed its 112th victim. The announcement included the details that the victim was 38 year old truck driver from the Banten Province near the capital Jakarta. Unfortunately he did not go to hospital until four days after he began to experience high fever and respiratory difficulties and this meant that despite being given the antiviral medication Tamiflu he did not survive.

Despite this case the good news is that the figures show that the number of people getting infected with the bird flu virus is actually on the decline compared to the last few years. It is also being noted that people are more aware of the disease now and therefore are more likely to get medical help more quickly. In line with proper practice all birds in the area around where the man used to live are being tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus and it is hoped that they will be able to locate the area from where the virus came.

Almost half of all the people who have died from the bird flu virus have done so in Indonesia. The worldwide statistics show that 243 people have died from the deadly virus and 385 people have been infected in fifteen different countries around the world. The official figures are kept by the World Health Organisation and are only confirmed when not only the nation itself has tested for the virus but also when samples are sent to the World Health Organisation laboratories and reconfirmed there.

It is however likely that the real figures from the bird flu deaths are considerably higher and that many deaths have gone unreported especially in the poorer remote regions of various countries. There has yet to be a bird flu case in Europe and most of the deaths so far are in Asia.