Forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan that have blanketed the provinces with smog for weeks and affected the health of thousands of people in nearby regions, as well as air quality in neighboring countries, took an added toll on Sunday when a 4-month-old infant named Elsa Fitaloka reportedly died of pneumonia and meningitis. “The haze particles can be the medium to spread the bacteria that can cause the infection,” said the director of Ar-Rasyid Hospital in South Sumatra, Toni Siguntang. The infant had received some medical treatment from the hospital before her condition worsened over the weekend. The Indonesian Health Ministry recorded that 106,550 patients in Palembang in South Sumatra, 61,147 in Jambi city, 23,324 in Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan patients and 9,512 in Pekanbaru in Riau were suffering from acute respiratory infections (ISPA) caused by the smog ...