OXFORD, England, March 1 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old Indonesian boy has died in Jakarta of what is believed to have been avian influenza, Indonesian doctors announced Wednesday.
The boy, from West Java, had been treated at a local hospital for a few days before being moved to Sulianti Saroso, a hospital that specializes in bird-flu cases, where he died Feb. 27.
Sulianti Saroso is currently treating 11 patients for avian influenza, suspected and confirmed. Three of those patients are in intensive care.
The two most recent admissions are a 25-year-old woman from west Jakarta who is on respiratory assistance and a 1-year-old baby from central Jakarta who was admitted with flu-like symptoms on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile:
-- Following the discovery in Germany of a dead cat that had been infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, four European countries have placed restrictions on the movement of cats.
The cat, which was found Tuesday on the island of Ruegen, the site of Germany's first avian-influenza outbreak last month, is believed to have died after eating an infected bird.
In Germany, all cats in areas with H5N1 infection are to be kept indoors. Dogs are to be leashed, and all animals should be observed for strange behavior or signs of illness.
Speaking at a news conference in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tuesday, the state's Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus said: "Cats must be kept away from infected birds ... and in protection zones, cats should be kept in houses. It is important that pet owners keep a close eye on their animals for symptoms of a cold, diarrhea, abnormal fatigue, fever, and if these signs emerge a veterinarian should be contacted."
Three other European countries have so far joined Germany in restricting the movement of domestic animals. France and Slovenia have requested that cat owners in infected areas keep their animals indoors, while in Italy, cats and dogs face restricted movement in regions that have seen outbreaks.
After the announcement of the discovery of the cat in Ruegen, the World Health Organization sought to allay fears of infection from pets with the following statement: "To date, no human case has been linked to exposure to a diseased cat. Unlike the case in domestic and wild birds, there is no evidence that domestic cats are a reservoir of the virus."
-- Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, has launched an international appeal for financial assistance to help it contain avian influenza.
Following an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry near the Nigerian border, the government ordered mass poultry culls but lacks the means and equipment, including protective clothing and special chemicals, to begin.
-- Morocco has requested that all grain shipments from countries with avian-influenza outbreaks come with food-safety certificates.
According to news reports, the Moroccan farm ministry has sent letters saying: "The import of plants and plant-based products from countries not free from bird flu must be, from now on, accompanied by a veterinary certificate in addition to a phytosanitary certificate."
The country, which has not seen any bird-flu outbreaks, is one of the world's largest grain importers. Previous outbreaks of animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease, have seen similar requests from Morocco that were later echoed by other countries.
-- Southern Russia's Krasnodar region has seen a devastating outbreak of avian influenza in a poultry farm 75 miles from the regional capital.
Nearly 120,000 chickens died at the farm of Tibilisi in the last week of February.
-- Following the discovery of an outbreak of an as yet unidentified H5 strain of avian influenza in birds at the beginning of the week, Pakistan Tuesday began massive poultry culls in the North-West Frontier province.
Samples from the infected birds are currently being tested by the World Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, England, for confirmation of the N subtype.
In addition to the widespread culls, Pakistani health officials are conducting door-to-door searches for people exhibiting symptoms of avian-influenza infection. No infected humans have yet been found, although several people with flu-like symptoms are currently being kept under observation.
-- Samples from sick birds in Ethiopia have been sent to a laboratory in Italy for H5N1 detection.
Over the past two weeks nearly 7,000 birds have died on one farm in the south of the country.
Dr. Seleshi Zewede, Ethiopian director of animal health, was quoted by South Africa's Independent Online as saying: "A test conducted on 49 dead hens in Gubre Poultry Farm in Endebere district ... has indicated the existence of a virus similar to that of avian bird flu. All chickens in Gubre Poultry Farm will be incinerated as of Tuesday to contain the spread of the virus."
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