Bird flu detected in more areas

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration announced on Thursday over 500 birds would be culled in several subdistricts in East Jakarta, the day after infected birds were found in four more subdistricts in West Jakarta, Central Jakarta and North Jakarta.

An official at the Jakarta Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Agency, Adnan Ahmad, said his office would begin culling birds in subdistricts in East Jakarta on Friday morning, noting that the area had the highest bird infection rate.

"We will concentrate on culling birds in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta. Birds from other subdistricts will be brought there. We expect to cull over 500 different kinds of birds tomorrow (Friday)," he told The Jakarta Post.

Adnan expressed hope the owners of the birds would be cooperative, noting the cull was for their own safety. "But we do not have the money to compensate them."

The agency found on Wednesday dozens of birds infected with avian influenza in the subdistricts of Ceger, Utan Kayu, Pondok Kelapa, Duren Sawit and Cipinang Melayu, all in East Jakarta, as well as in Sunter Jaya in North Jakarta and Kapuk in West Jakarta.

Adnan said infected birds had also been detected in the subdistricts of Petojo in Central Jakarta and Cilincing in North Jakarta.

"Out of 54 samples tested in Petojo, we found five birds with avian influenza, and from 56 samples tested in Cilincing, one bird was infected. We are still conducting tests on other birds in other areas," he said.

Adnan said his office had only conducted about 2,000 tests in 30 of the capital's 267 subdistricts.

The World Health Organization-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong has confirmed 11 bird flu cases in humans in Indonesia. Seven people have died from the virus.

Meanwhile, a resident of Kampung Gardu, Buaran village, Serpong, Tangerang, complained that she had received no response from authorities after reporting that at least 10 chickens in the area had died suddenly, and that several children had also come down with fevers.

"I have reported several times but they are busy. We are frantic. We want them to at least check whether the chickens are infected with bird flu or not. Are they going to wait until someone dies before paying attention?" she told the Post.