North Jakarta boy who owns pet chickens suspected of having bird flu

A 3D model of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

An 11-year-old boy, identified by his initials DA, is suspected of having contracted bird flu and is being examined at Prof Dr Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in North Jakarta.

Medical professionals believe DA may have contracted the bird flu because he has four pet chickens at his home in Koja, North Jakarta.

“Until now the results haven’t come out so we don’t know yet if the patient has bird flu,” said Dr Dyani Kusumowardhani, head of the Child Medical Care staff at the hospital, as quoted by Okezone yesterday. 

“We will continually monitor the patient’s conditions even though we haven’t given him any special medication. But the patient is exhibiting symptoms of bird flu.”

Before DA was taken to the hospital, his pet chickens died suddenly due to unknown causes and DA is believed to have come in direct contact with the dead poultry.

The North Jakarta city administration is creating a special task force to oversee this case and prevent an outbreak of bird flu in the city.

Earlier this year, a father and his son died after testing positive for bird flu in Tangerang.