JAKARTA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A 6-year-old Indonesian girl, who died in mid-January, was confirmed infected by avian influenza virus, bringing the country's total death toll to 63 so far, the Health Ministry said here Thursday.

    The girl from Central Java had history contacts with fowls, an official of the anti-bird flu center of the Ministry Joko Suyono said. But it was not clear whether the fowls were tested positive to the H5N1 virus.

    "The result of test that she is positive of bird flu," Suyono told Xinhua.

    The girl had been treated in a hospital in Magelang regency of the Central Java province since January 8, then she was shifted to a hospital in Yogyakarta province on January 19 and then died there, said Suyono.

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

    Indonesian health authorities have imposed a firm policy on separating fowls from human and surveillance on the viruses. Raising fowls in residential areas was also banned in the country. Over 32 million families in Indonesia raise chickens on back yard.

    Indonesia, which has been hardest-hit by bird flu, has become one of the front lines in the fight against the H5N1 virus.

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

    The huge territory, back yard cantered farming and relatively scarce budget have hampered Indonesia's efforts to fight avian influenza.