Two Indonesian women die of bird flu-health ministry

JAKARTA, Jan 13 (Reuters) Two Indonesian women have died of bird flu, a health ministry official today said, taking the overall human death toll from the disease in the country to 61 amid a spike of new cases.

A 27-year-old woman from south Jakarta died after entering Persahabatan Hospital in the capital on Thursday for treatment, Muhammad Nadirin of the health ministry's bird flu information centre said. She died yesterday evening.

The second death was of a 22-year-old woman from Tangerang west of Jakarta, who died in the early hours today, the official said.

REUTERS SY RAI0922