Bird flu endemic to Indonesia: OIE<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has declared
\nIndonesia an endemic country for avian influenza, but the
\ngovernment is still determined to achieve its target of being
\nfree of bird flu by 2007, a minister says.<\/p>\n
\"It is a sad decision for us considering that bird flu cases
\nare on the decline, especially since last year,\" Minister of
\nAgriculture Anton Apriyantono said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The OIE's declaration implies that Indonesia remains a country
\nwith a high risk for future outbreaks, he said.<\/p>\n
Anton said that despite the disheartening OIE assessment, it
\nwould not deter the government from its drive to overcome and
\neliminate bird flu from the country.<\/p>\n
\"This will instead encourage us to fight bird flu even harder,
\nbe it by enhancing bio-security or isolation,\" he said, adding
\nthat the ministry had not revised its target of being bird-flu
\nfree by 2007.<\/p>\n
According to data from the ministry, 16.2 million birds died
\nof the virus last year, while from January to March of this year
\na reported 281,730 birds have died of the virus in 10 regencies
\nin South Sulawesi, West Java and Central Java.<\/p>\n
Responding to the ministry's discovery of the bird flu virus
\nin pigs in Tangerang, Banten province, Anton said he had ordered
\nall pigs on the contaminated farm to be slaughtered.<\/p>\n
\"We found the virus in small pig farms located next to poultry
\nfarms. To prevent similar cases, we have asked pig farms across
\nthe country to be relocated a certain distance away from any
\npoultry farm,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bird-flu-endemic-to-indonesia-oie-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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