Indonesia reacts to bird flu death

JAKARTA, Indonesia-Authorities said Wednesday that a 27-year-old woman died of bird flu earlier in the week in Jakarta, and they prepared to scour the capital for infected poultry.

India expanded a massive slaughter of chickens to halt the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in a southern state.  Health officials in Egypt sought to reassure the public that Cairo’s drinking water was safe, after fears of bird flu sparked panicked buying of bottled water.  And Russia declared a quarantine in 17 villages after the strain was detected in three farms.

The H5N1 virus has devastated poultry stocks and killed at least 92 people since 2003, mostly in Asia.  Fresh outbreaks have been reported in birds in 14 countries this month.

 Source:  Associated Press, February 23, 2006