JAKARTA : An Indonesian man has died in hospital with a suspected case of bird flu, which has claimed at least three lives in the country, an official said Saturday.
"The man, Ramdani, died last night from severe pneumonia and kidney failure," said Ilham Patu, a spokesman for Jakarta's Sulianti Saroso hospital, where most suspected victims of the outbreak are being treated.
The 56-year-old Jakarta resident showed symptoms of bird flu after being admitted to the hospital on Monday but the results of his first tests were negative, Patu told AFP.
"He is classified as a suspect case. He has had contact with dead chickens in his house before he went into treatment," Patu said, adding that blood and mucous samples had been taken for further tests.
Ramdani's death brings to six the number of people who have died with suspected cases of the deadly H5N1 virus, but who are not officially listed as bird flu victims.
Indonesia has confirmed three deaths from bird flu, based on local tests and confirmation from World Health Organisation (WHO) facilities in Hong Kong, since the first case of human infection was found in the country in June.
Indonesia has another two confirmed bird flu patients who are still alive, while there are more than 85 suspected cases.
At least 60 people have died from bird flu in the Southeast Asia region since 2003, the majority of them in Vietnam.
Indonesia has been fighting the outbreak largely by vaccinating poultry flocks.
But state prosecutors are investigating alleged corruption by local vaccine manufacturers involving the supply of sub-standard doses.
The WHO fears the current H5N1 virus may mutate, acquiring genes from the human influenza virus that would make it highly infectious as well as lethal - possibly killing millions worldwide as the influenza pandemic of 1918 did. - AFP /ch
An Indonesian died of what is suspected to be bird flu, said an official yesterday. The man had symptoms of bird flu and had some contact with chickens but tested negative on his first test.

Indonesia currently has over 85 suspected bird flu cases and two confirmed and alive cases.

There is a possibility that the H5N1 virus might mutate and become highly contagious and lethal to humans. An example of such an epidemic is the 1918 disaster that killed millions around the globe.

Researchers say that Tamiflu might not be enough to hold the virus back.