Flu vaccines low, farmers get jitters<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A week after the government declared the avian influenza outbreak
\nan extraordinary situation, few measures have been taken to
\ncontain the disease.<\/p>\n
There has been no mass cull of poultry in areas where the
\nvirus has claimed lives, while poultry farmers are beginning to
\ncomplain about the shortage of vaccine.<\/p>\n
The health ministry suspects that bird flu has affected 22
\nprovinces in the country, with several towns in Java and South
\nSulawesi being the most seriously affected areas because of their
\nhigh populations of poultry.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that poultry farmers in the East Java town of
\nTulungagung were jittery about the limited supply of bird flu
\nvaccine, following the sudden death of 1,400 laying pullets there two
\nweeks ago.<\/p>\n
Tulungagung administration spokesperson Achmad Pitoyo said
\nthere were only 30,000 doses of vaccine left for around two
\nmillion chickens.<\/p>\n
His area had previously received some 2.87 million doses but
\nquickly ran out after they were distributed to the local farmers.<\/p>\n
"We've asked for another two million doses to be distributed
\nfor free. They need to be for free because none of the farmers
\nreceived compensation for poultry culls during the previous
\noutbreak last year," Achmad said.<\/p>\n
Southeast Sulawesi is also facing a lack of vaccines for over
\neight million poultry. The provincial agriculture agency has
\ndistributed only 182,000 doses of vaccine, following the sudden
\ndeath of 1,200 chickens in Kendari recently, most likely due to
\navian influenza.<\/p>\n
There are around 1 billion poultry and 290 million free-range
\nchickens across the country, 60 percent of them in densely
\npopulated Java.<\/p>\n
The WHO recommends a mass cull of fowls in a radius of three
\nkilometers from where an infection is detected. The government
\nhas not taken the advice, citing lack of funds to pay farmers'
\ncompensation.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital
\ndischarged five patients after they tested negative for bird flu
\nvirus on Sunday. The hospital said the patients were suffering
\nfrom the common flu, lung or respiratory infections.<\/p>\n
The five, however, will be required to report to the hospital
\nregularly after they return home to monitor their condition.<\/p>\n
They were 16 patients still at the hospital on Sunday with
\nbird flu-like symptoms.<\/p>\n
During the past three months, four have people died of the
\nbird flu virus. Last week, a five-year-old girl who was suspected
\nof suffering the disease died at the Sulianti Saroso hospital.
\nPreliminary tests indicated she had not contracted the virus but
\nconfirmation from a Hong Kong laboratory will not come until
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Forty-four hospitals nationwide have been designated to treat
\nbird flu patients.<\/p>\n
Australia, meanwhile, has promised to finance 10,000 doses of
\nTamiflu for people infected with the virus in Indonesia and the
\nAsia Pacific.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flu-vaccines-low-farmers-get-jitters-1447893297",
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