Health Highlights: Jan. 25, 2007

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

Indonesia Reports Sixth Bird Flu Death This Year

Indonesian officials announced Thursday that a young girl has died of bird flu, making her the country's sixth victim of the H5N1 virus so far this year and the 63rd since 2005,Agence France Pressereported.

The eight-year-old girl from central Java died on January 19. Laboratory tests confirmed she died of infection with the H5N1 strain.

Indonesia has been hardest hit by a recent resurgence of bird flu that's also seen outbreaks in Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and Japan,AFPreported.

Most of the human cases of bird flu in Indonesia were the result of close contact with infected poultry. Measures being taken by the Indonesian government to fight bird flu include a plan to eventually ban backyard poultry everywhere in the country.

Experts fear that the H5N1 virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, resulting in a pandemic that could kill millions,AFPreported.

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Squirrel Hunters in N.J. Town Warned About Lead Threat

Squirrel hunters and others in Ringwood, N.J. should limit their consumption of the animals because they may be contaminated with lead from a toxic waste dump, say state officials.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Ford Motor Co. dumped toxic waste, including paint sludge, in the area. The company is currently removing tons of waste from a 500-acre former mining property there, theAssociated Pressreported.

Many residents of Ringwood are members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe who hunt and fish in the region.