Bird flu claims fifth victim in Indonesia in 2012

Health officials say a 24-year-old woman has become the fifth person to die of bird flu in Indonesia this year. Health Ministry official Rita Kusriastuti says the woman died last week in Bengkulu, a city on Sumatra island, apparently after coming into contact with sick chickens. Lab tests confirmed on Wednesday that she was infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. The virus, which began ravaging poultry in 2003 and has killed 349 people worldwide, is still present in some areas of Asia and the Middle East. Indonesia has been the hardest-hit country, accounting for 155 of the deaths.