I was rather taken back when I read about the latest Avian Flu (H5N1) death in Indonesia last week. The Ministry of Health of Indonesia announced a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza. It was a 34-year-old female from South Jakarta District. She developed symptoms on 25 May 2010, was hospitalized on 27 May and died on 1 Jun 2010. Laboratory tests were positive for H5N1 virus infection.

Electricity Converted From Chicken Manure Powers Beijing — The case was confirmed and validated by WHO that it was caused by environmental exposure to manure in her plant nursery.

Wow! That is a pretty amazing illness to think that your exposure is from manure used in a plant nursery. Of course it is a likely source of the virus and a power contaminant, likely in the dust…but you don’t imagine that gardening could kill you.

Of the 166 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 137 have been fatal.

This is only the 4th case and 3rd death reported in Indonesia so in 2010.
Overall it brings the global total of cases of avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection to 500, and the death toll to 296.
The fatality rate in Indonesia now stands at 83 percent, compared with the global rate of 59 percent.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_07_05/en/index.html