Indonesia has recorded one more bird flu patient after a 14-year-old boy tested positive of H5N1 virus, bringing the total number of cases to 75, which 57 of them died, Health Ministry said in Jakarta Monday.

 

The boy is from West Jakarta and has been treated in Rawamangun Hospital in the east of the city since Friday, an official of the Anti-Bird Flu center of the ministry named only Ningrum said.

 

"The test result showed that the boy is positive of bird flu, putting the total case to 75," she told Xinhua.

 

The official said the boy has history contact with fowls.

 

Indonesia has become one of the front lines in the fighting against the H5N1 virus.

 

Experts have warned the international community of the risks of the disease should Indonesia fail to prevent the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from spreading.

 

Millions of people can be killed should the highly pathogenic H5N1 mutate into a certain level, which can make it transmittable among humans.

 

Indonesia's huge territory, back yard centered farming and relatively scarce budget have hampered the authorities in the country to fight avian influenza.

 

Asia has been hit the hardest by bird flu, with 135 human deaths reported since 2003.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2007)