The number of suspected bird flu cases in Indonesia rose to 48 today as the health minister appealed for people not to shun patients suffering from the virus, saying close contact with them was not dangerous.

INDONESIA yesterday said an outbreak of bird flu in its teeming capital could become an epidemic as health and agricultural experts from around the world converged on Jakarta to help control the virus.

INDONESIA confirmed its fourth human death from bird flu yesterday and said another person was suspected of having the virus as global alarm grew that the disease would mutate and become a pandemic.

Indonesia recorded its first human death linked to bird flu today after tests confirmed that a man who died earlier this month had the virus, the health minister said.