W. Java officials paly down bird flu risk<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Bandung\/Cirebon<\/p>\n
Fears of a possible bird flu outbreak in West Java were played
\ndown by an official on Thursday, who gave assurances that all
\ninfected chickens had been cremated and buried to prevent further
\noutbreaks.<\/p>\n
The head of farm animal health at the West Java Animal
\nHusbandry Office, Musni Suatmodjo, said that all chicken farms in
\nWest Java were clear of bird flu and not a single case had been
\nreported in the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
\"We have been conducting a vaccination campaign in the
\naffected areas. We are also encouraging biosecurity measures to
\nensure no more cases,\" he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Bird flu has reportedly spread to the province's five
\nregencies and municipalities: Cirebon regency and municipality,
\nIndramayu regency, Subang regency and Sukabumi regency. Cirebon
\nmunicipality has had the largest number of reported cases of bird
\nflu.<\/p>\n
The way poultry is raised in Asia -- usually around the house
\nand free to wander among other animals -- has been partly blamed
\nfor the spread of bird flu. Prevention requires the
\nimplementation of biosecurity measures, everything from building
\nclosed chicken sheds and erecting bird netting to chemical baths
\nand vaccines. Farmers are also required to shield themselves from
\ninfection, such as by wearing masks.<\/p>\n
Musni gave assurances there would be no more cases of bird flu
\nin West Java as poultry farmers would obey the guidelines.<\/p>\n
Last year, bird flu hit more than 10 areas in the province,
\nkilling 1.6 million, or 25.3 percent, out of its 6 million
\nchickens.<\/p>\n
National Poultry Breeders Association chairman Heri Dermawan
\nsaid he had heard nothing about the reemergence of bird flu in
\nWest Java, but said that he believed that farmers had been
\ncareful to prevent the spread of the disease.<\/p>\n
\"Many farmers have adhered to the biosecurity measures ... if
\ntheir chickens are affected, it is they who suffer most,\" Heri
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added that if bird flu had reemerged, it was most likely on
\nsmall-scale farms that paid less attention to biosecurity
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
Based on Food and Agriculture Organization estimates, bird flu
\ncost Asian farmers and agricultural industries US$10 billion in
\n2004.<\/p>\n
In the West Java town of Cirebon, however, at least 33,000
\nquails are reported to have died of bird flu.<\/p>\n
The worst hit farms were those owned by M. Alie Abubakar and
\nMas'ud, with the two losing 10,000 and 23,000 quails
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Alie Abubakar, who is also the chairman of the Indonesian
\nPoultry Breeders Association, said there were five farms in
\nCirebon municipality, but only two were big ones.<\/p>\n
\"These two farms have been bankrupted by bird flu. Mine and
\nMas'ud's farm. We haven't received reports from the other farms,
\nbut we estimate losses at hundreds of millions of rupiah,\" he
\ntold reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He said the quails were confirmed to have died of bird flu
\nfollowing laboratory tests at the Jatiwangi Animal Health
\nLaboratory, which is run by the West Java Animal Husbandry
\nOffice. Based on pathology and virology tests conducted by the
\nlab last month, the quails definitely died of avian influenza, or
\nbird flu as it is better known.<\/p>\n
Fifteen subtypes of influenza virus are known to infect birds
\nbut, to date, all outbreaks of the highly pathogenic form have
\nbeen caused by influenza A viruses of subtypes H5 and H7.<\/p>\n
Alie expressed his disappointment with the government for its
\nslow reaction in dealing with bird flu, saying the cause of death
\nof the quails would not have become known if the breeders had not
\nhad the tests done.<\/p>\n
\"Once we learned they had died of bird flu, we immediately
\ndestroyed the rest of the quails voluntarily. The government only
\nbecame aware of the cases after we reported them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Head of the animal husbandry division at Cirebon's Agriculture
\nand Marine Office, Maharani Dewi, claimed that these cases of
\nbird flu were the first ever in the city. She said that no cases
\nhad been found in the municipality last year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/w-java-officials-paly-down-bird-flu-risk-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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