Jakartans know little about infectious bird flu<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite comprehensive media coverage on the outbreak of avian
\ninfluenza, or bird flu, in Asian countries, it seems many
\nJakartans remain ill-informed on the disease.<\/p>\n
At Petak Sembilan Market in West Jakarta people examined live
\nchickens, claiming that a bird's appearance was a good indicator
\nof its health.<\/p>\n
\"I'd rather buy live chickens after watching the news. It said
\nthat as long as chickens don't have blue combs, red eyes and
\nfeet, then they're healthy,\" said Sherly, who was shopping at the
\nmarket on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Lanny, who was shopping at Pancoran Market in Kota, West
\nJakarta, agreed with Sherly, saying she could pick a healthy
\nchicken in the same way she selected fresh fish.<\/p>\n
\"If I buy a dead chicken, I won't know if it is infected with
\nbird flu. But if I buy a live one, I'll know if its physically
\nhealthy. Besides, the news says it's OK to eat chickens as long
\nas they're properly cooked,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Sherly and Lanny are unaware that processed meat would
\nactually be a safer option. According to the World Health
\nOrganization (WHO) the disease is believed to have been passed on
\nto humans by direct contact with sick birds.<\/p>\n
Maria, who was buying groceries at Krukut Market in West
\nJakarta, decided not to buy any chickens.<\/p>\n
\"The news on TV say that it's better to avoid eating chicken.
\nThere is no guarantee that our chickens are bird-flu free,\" said
\nthe 75-year-old woman.<\/p>\n
She said she would still purchase eggs, although it had not
\nbeen explained to her that eating eggs was also risky.<\/p>\n
Head of the meat products and health unit of the Jakarta
\nHusbandry, Fishery and Maritime Affairs Agency, Hery Indyanto,
\nsaid chickens with bird flu exhibited similar symptoms to those
\nof the common flu.<\/p>\n
\"The main characteristics are a blue comb, cough, difficulty
\nbreathing, weakness, drooling and red feet,\" Hery told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, he said, people should not be worried as long as they
\nbought chickens in supermarkets and traditional markets. He
\nasserted that chickens coming into Jakarta were accompanied by
\nregistered letters stating that they were healthy.<\/p>\n
Yet, Tarjo, a chicken seller in Palmerah Market in Central
\nJakarta, said that he had bought his chickens from a distributor
\nin Ciputat, South Jakarta -- where three slaughterhouses were
\nfound not to be in compliance with standards set by the Ministry
\nof Agriculture.<\/p>\n
Hery advised people to buy chickens from vendors inside the
\ntraditional market, and not \"the ones selling chickens outside
\nthe market or on the sidewalk.\"<\/p>\n
So far, the agency has only advised people to cook chicken
\nmeat and eggs properly -- at temperatures of above 80 Celsius
\ndegrees for meat and above 60 Celsius for eggs -- to avoid being
\ninfected by the virus.<\/p>\n
The government has confirmed that avian influenza, which has
\nbeen killing millions of chickens here, is the dangerous H5N1
\nstrain that can also kill humans. The incubation period of the
\nvirus, which has killed 14 people in Thailand and Vietnam, is
\nseven days.<\/p>\n
After months of cover-up, the Indonesian government, after a
\nregional meeting in Bangkok last week ordered farmers to cull
\ninfected chickens.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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