Two people suspected of being infected with avian influenza virus died in Indonesia, Indonesian Health Ministry said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

A 15-year boy from Indramayu of West Java died on Sunday and a 22-year-old woman from Palembang of South Sumatra on Saturday, an official of the anti-bird flu center said.

The official said that the woman had history of contacting with fowls, but they didn't know if the teenager had contacted with fowls.

"The initial tests of the two were positive and both of them died," the official told Xinhua.

She said that the health authorities were waiting for the result of further tests.

The number of bird flu cases in Indonesia has increased recently after months of absence of new cases, putting the country as the hardest hit by the disease with 66 fatalities.

Should further tests of the two were positive, it would bring the total death toll in the country to 68.

Another initial test also indicated that a 39-year old man from Mojokerto of East Java was positive of having the virus, said the official. He was treated in a hospital in the province, said the official.

Indonesian health authorities have imposed a firm policy separating fowls from human and kept surveillance on the situation.

The authorities forbade raising fowls in residential areas.

But the implementation of the policy seems to be not working, as the authorities in most of 32 provinces in the country have failed to put it into effect, said Indonesian Health Ministry Sity Sufari Fadillah.

Over 32 million families in Indonesia's vast archipelago raise chickens on back yard, Indonesian Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono said.

Huge territory, back-yard centered farming and relatively lack budget have hampered the authorities in the country to fighting against avian influenza.

Source: Xinhua