A type of avian flu that could infect humans hit Asia in 2003, with a total of 54 people killed in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Almost every person infected by bird flu is known to have caught the virus from contact with sick birds.

"One of the blood samples, taken from poultry workers in South Sulawesi in areas that were recently hit by a bird flu outbreak, came back positive," the Ministry of Health's director general for disease control and environmental health I Nyoman Kandu told The Jakarta Post.

The result was obtained from a reconfirmation test carried out in a Hong Kong University laboratory, where an earlier test of the same sample had produced a vague result.

Nyoman explained that the case could not be considered an infection since the worker had not displayed the symptoms found in people infected with the H5N1 virus. "He remains healthy," he added.

Contact with Sick Birds

The health ministry sent 81 samples to the laboratory taken from five regencies in South Sulawesi after the recent bird flu outbreak.

Local health agency head Muhadir reported last week that the samples were taken from workers in Sidenreng Rappang, Pinrang, Wajo, Maros and Soppeng regencies.

"Although only one sample came back positive, we do need to intensify our surveillance," Nyoman said.

He also reminded workers to keep their bio-security standards high by always wearing gloves and masks when working with poultry, as well as disinfecting their hands after direct contact with birds.

Indonesia saw its first outbreak of bird flu, which killed millions of poultry, in early 2003. Its most recent outbreak occurred in South Sulawesi earlier this year. The H5N1 virus infecting poultry in the country was not considered highly pathogenic.

Another type of avian flu that could infect humans hit the Asian region in 2003, with a total of 54 people killed in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Almost every person infected by bird flu is known to have caught the virus from contact with sick birds.

Positive Bird Flu Case in Pigs

Like the common influenza virus, avian flu can be transmitted through air or through direct contact with infected individuals. Therefore, people who are in direct contact with infected poultry or who live near livestock-inhabited areas are considered prone to infection.

Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that it had found a positive bird flu case in pigs in Banten province, raising concerns that the deadly virus had come a step closer to infecting humans in Indonesia.

The Indonesian Institute of Sciences' molecular virology researcher, Andi Utama, said earlier that a new virus could emerge if a pig was infected with the avian flu and human flu viruses simultaneously. Although such a new virus has not been found, it could be transmitted to humans.

Consumers of poultry and pork, however, are not at risk of infection, provided they make sure that the meat is cooked at a temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius, since the avian flu virus does not survive high temperatures.