Don't worry about bird flu: Sujudi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians should not worry about the notorious
\n\"bird flu\", as the government has taken necessary precautions,
\nsuch as banning poultry imports from Hong Kong, to avoid the
\nspread of the virus here, a minister has said.<\/p>\n
\"We should not be terrified by the disease. I think it will
\nnot spread here,\" said Minister of Health Sujudi here Saturday.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and consuming
\nnutritious foods would be enough to prevent infection.<\/p>\n
\"Keep yourself healthy. Proceed with your fasting, eat
\nnutritious food, and don't consume Peking ducks,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
The bird flu in Hong Kong grabbed international headlines
\nafter claiming four human lives.<\/p>\n
Last week, the Indonesian government announced a campaign
\nagainst the spread of the H5N1 \"avian flu\" virus in Indonesia.
\nMinister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah announced on Dec. 30
\nthat Indonesia had stopped all poultry imports from Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Hong Kong's health department confirmed that a
\n19-year-old woman had contracted the flu, bringing the total
\nnumber of confirmed cases to 16.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong authorities have also overseen the slaughter of some
\n1.4 million chickens and other poultry last week in an effort to
\ncontain the spread of the disease.<\/p>\n
H5N1, a strain of influenza A, reportedly claimed its first
\nknown human victim in May, a young boy.<\/p>\n
Victims develop symptoms similar to the common flu, such as
\ncoughing, fever and muscular pain.<\/p>\n
Experts say the virus appeared to be spreading mainly by
\ndirect contact with chickens but human-to-human transmission
\ncould not be ruled out.<\/p>\n
Like other flu viruses known to attack humans, H5N1 has an
\nincubation period of one to four days, and the most effective
\nweapon against it is a person's own resistance.<\/p>\n
Sujudi maintained there was no reason to panic. He said like
\nother flu cases, a healthy body and a strong physical resistance
\nwould suffice.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, it's better for us to eat domestic poultry. It's
\njust as good and safer,\" he remarked. (09)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-worry-about-bird-flu-sujudi-1447893297",
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