JAKARTA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian health ministry confirmed on Saturday a 19-year old Indonesian woman who died on Friday was positively infected by avian influenza, putting the total death to 62 out of 82 cases.

    "The test resulted today that she is positive of bird flu," head of laboratory at the health ministry Erna Tresnaningsih told Xinhua.

    The woman from Garut regency of West Java province had been treated in a hospital in the regency since Jan. 16, the head of laboratory said.

    "She died on Friday morning," said Joko Sugiyono, an official of anti-bird flu center of the ministry, told Xinhua.

    The woman has historical contact with fowls as many chickens and ducks around her house died from Jan. 8 to 17, said Sugiyono.

    Another official of the center Muhammad Nadirin said that dozens of fowls near the woman's house had been positively infected by the H5N1.

    "Over 50 fowls near her house were positive of bird flu, based on rapid tests," he told Xinhua.

    The number of bird flu cases in the country has increased recently after months of absence of new cases.

    Four people had died in four days at the beginning of this month, according to the ministry.

    The Indonesian health authorities have imposed a firm policy separating fowls from human and surveillance on the viruses.

    The authorities have forbidden raising fowls in residential areas. The provinces of Banten, Jakarta and West Java have been prioritized of the implementation of the decision as most of the victims are from the territory.

    Over 32 million families in Indonesia's vast archipelago have raising chickens on back yard, Indonesian Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono has said.

    An 18-year old man infected by the disease and whose mother has died of the virus is still treated in a designed-bird flu hospital in East Jakarta.

    Indonesia has become an international concern since last May when seven people with blood-link were killed by the disease in Karo district in the country's North Sumatra province.

    The country has become one of the front lines in fighting against the H5N1 virus.

    Experts have warned international community of the risks of the disease should Indonesia fail to prevent the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from spreading.

    Millions of people can be killed if the highly pathogenic H5N1 mutate into a certain level, which can make it transmittable amonghumans.

    The huge territory, back yard centered farming and relatively lacking of budget have hampered the authorities in the country in fighting against avian influenza.