One more person dies from bird flu in Indonesia

World Health Organization confirmed another man had died from bird flu, bringing the total number of people killed by the virus to nine, a senior official of the Health ministry said here Tuesday.

"The test results from Hong Kong laboratory which we received last night were positive for bird flu," Hariadi Wibisono, a director at the ministry told Xinhua by telephone.

The 35-year man, A.R., from Jakarta died on Nov. 19, said Hariadi Wibisono.

Indonesian Health Minister Siti Sufari Fadilah has said Indonesia will increase the number of hospitals to more than double to 100, to be designed for treatment bird flu patients across the world's fourth most populous country in the next month.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain is endemic in poultry in parts of Asia, which killed nearly 70 people.

Experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily among humans, just like human influenza. If it does, millions could die because they would have no immunity.

The European Union has asked Indonesia to intensify efforts to fight against the H5N1 deadly virus.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made fighting bird flu one of the government's top priorities.

Source: Xinhua