Indonesia bird flu deaths rise to 48

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.

Siti Fadili Supari was photographed in newspapers yesterday kissing a nine-year-old boy who had returned from a hospital where he was treated for bird flu after rumours spread in the neighbourhood that it was unsafe to get close to him.