JAKARTA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Pigs are blamed for having spread the bird flu virus that recently killed five people in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, according to a senior government official Thursday.

    The virus infected eight people from a family in Karo regency, leaving five of them dead earlier this month.

    "According to laboratory examination, the pigs were tested positive (of having bird flu virus)," Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono told reporters here.

    "But we need further examination to confirm," he added.

    He said the infected pigs and poultry within the radius of 1 km from the family's house will all be culled.

    The latest fatalities brought the death toll to 30 in Indonesia,which trails only Vietnam with 42 deaths among the world's hardest hit by bird flu. Enditem