Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The death toll exacted by the H5N1 virus in Indonesia may have reached eight. There are 85 certified cases of the virus and I Nyoman Kandun, a health ministry official, said another 65 cases were suspect.

Jakarta is the worst hit zone with 55 cases; in other provinces, 12 cases have been confirmed in Bantem, 10 in West Java, three in Lampung, and one each in North Sumatra and East Kalimantan. The origin of another two cases must yet be certified.

Yesterday the seventh victim of the fatal virus was confirmed: Slamet Widodo, 23 years. Ilham Patu, spokesman of the Sulianto Saroso hospital in Jakarta, said the boy died last week barely one day after being admitted. Clinical tests and analysis revealed the cause of death to be the H5N1 virus. According to Ilham Patu, the victim was infected by the virus through direct contact with birds from his poultry.

Mathur Riady director-general of the poultry section of the Agriculture Department said a Hong Kong scientist has discovered that some chickens testing positive for the virus still appeared healthy and did not show any clinical symptoms. "This is very dangerous since we can be infected more easily if we don't know the chickens are infected. We cannot go by physical symptoms alone."

Siti Fadilah Supari, the health minister, said that Tamiflu, the vaccine against birdflu of the Roche pharmaceutical laboratory, was available "but its sale to the public is strictly forbidden. Tamilflu will be available only from designated pharmacies and hospitals".

Meanhile, a 20-month-old baby died in Jakarta hospital last night. According to the official medical report, the child died of strong pneumonia, however many think it was the eighth victim of the H5N1 virus. When the child was admitted, the parents said it had been in contact with their poultry. Ilham Paty said "this child will be buried using all precautions adopted for confirmed bird flu victims".