Special report: Global fight against bird flu

    JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A 45-year Indonesian man, who died on Monday in Central Java, was positively infected by avian influenza, bringing the country's death toll to 78 out of 98 cases, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

    The man had historical contacts with fowls as a number of his chicken died and he also consumed ill-chickens, Coordinator of anti-bird flu center Dr Runizar Roesin said.

    "Both of his laboratory tests showed that he was positive of H5N1," he told Xinhua.

    "The man died on May 28 in Dr Mawardi hospital in Solo of Central Java," Roesin said.

    He said the man was sick on May 17 and went to see a doctor, said the coordinator.

    On May 24 the patient was admitted to another hospital in the province, and two days later he was admitted to a hospital in Solo town, the official said.

    Sample of specimen of his family has been taken for examination of bird flu, said Roesin.

    Indonesia has agreed to resume sharing its virus sample with the World Health Organization for scientific purpose after suspending the cooperation in December last year.

    Experts fear millions of people could be killed should the virus mutate to a certain level that is transmittable among humans.     

    The disease has killed at least 186 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in 2003, and 78 were in Indonesia, the worst hit country.