By Sebastien Berger, SE Asia Correspondent
(Filed: 16/07/2005)
Three people have died of suspected avian influenza in Indonesia, health authorities said yesterday.
If confirmed, they would be the first human fatalities in the country from the H5N1 bird flu virus, which experts fear could cause millions of deaths worldwide if it mutates into a form that can be easily transmitted between people.
The victims, a 38-year-old man from a suburb of Jakarta and his two daughters aged nine and one, died within 10 days of each other.
They were not believed to have had contact with infected poultry, officials said, but further investigation could show otherwise.
Dr Oloan Tampubolon, who oversaw their treatment, said that the man's wife had been traumatised by the deaths.
"Yesterday, she asked me 'what is God's plan for my family?'" he said.
"I said you never know what God's plan is, but you and your son are still around so keep on going."
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