(9/11/2009)
A 19 year-old woman, Ni Wayan Siti, died at Denpasar's Sanglah General Hospital on Thursday, September 3, 2009 after becoming infected with the H1N1 'Swine Flu' Virus.
According to the Jakarta Post, Siti's death brought to six the total number of deaths attributed to H1N1 in Indonesia. Laboratory test confirmed that the woman, who was also pregnant at the time of her death, had contracted H1N1. Further testing was underway to confirm suspicions that the woman also suffered from the H5N1 "Avian Flu" virus.
After the woman's death blamed on multiple organ failure, hospital authorities assumed responsibilities for the ritual cleansing and wrapping of the victim's remains in order to prevent any possible contamination of family members who would normally undertake these tasks. Family members were cautioned by hospital authorities not to open the funereal shroud and to dispose of the remains as soon as possible.
Hailing from Tampak Siring in the Gianyar regency, the eight-months pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital on August 29, six days before her death. Hospital officials report that the unborn baby died of oxygen deprivation on the third day of its mother's hospitalization.
Meanwhile, Bali health officials are now checking the health of fowl and human populations in areas surrounding the dead woman's residence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently abandoned efforts to count the number of H1N1 contamination, blaming hundreds of deaths in over 160 countries worldwide. As recently as late August 2009, Indonesian authorities confirmed over 1,000 H1N1 cases nationwide.
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