Bird flu kills an Indonesian boy in Bali

Indonesian health officials say a 12-year-old boy has died of bird flu on the resort island of Bali, bringing the country's death toll from the virus to 154 since 2005.

Rita Kusriastuti, an official at the health ministry, said today that the boy died on 21 February after suffering high fever and breathing difficulties for more than a week. Tests showed the boy was infected with the H5N1 virus.

She said the boy is suspected to have had direct contact with poultry. He was the fourth to die of bird flu in Indonesia this year.

Bird flu has killed at least 347 people worldwide since it began ravaging poultry stocks in 2003. Indonesia is the worst-affected country with 185 confirmed infections.

AP