Don't worry about bird flu: Sujudi

Don't worry about bird flu: Sujudi

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians should not worry about the notorious
"bird flu", as the government has taken necessary precautions,
such as banning poultry imports from Hong Kong, to avoid the
spread of the virus here, a minister has said.

"We should not be terrified by the disease. I think it will
not spread here," said Minister of Health Sujudi here Saturday.

Sujudi said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and consuming
nutritious foods would be enough to prevent infection.

"Keep yourself healthy. Proceed with your fasting, eat
nutritious food, and don't consume Peking ducks," he remarked.

The bird flu in Hong Kong grabbed international headlines
after claiming four human lives.

Last week, the Indonesian government announced a campaign
against the spread of the H5N1 "avian flu" virus in Indonesia.
Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah announced on Dec. 30
that Indonesia had stopped all poultry imports from Hong Kong.

On Saturday, Hong Kong's health department confirmed that a
19-year-old woman had contracted the flu, bringing the total
number of confirmed cases to 16.

Hong Kong authorities have also overseen the slaughter of some
1.4 million chickens and other poultry last week in an effort to
contain the spread of the disease.

H5N1, a strain of influenza A, reportedly claimed its first
known human victim in May, a young boy.

Victims develop symptoms similar to the common flu, such as
coughing, fever and muscular pain.

Experts say the virus appeared to be spreading mainly by
direct contact with chickens but human-to-human transmission
could not be ruled out.

Like other flu viruses known to attack humans, H5N1 has an
incubation period of one to four days, and the most effective
weapon against it is a person's own resistance.

Sujudi maintained there was no reason to panic. He said like
other flu cases, a healthy body and a strong physical resistance
would suffice.

"Besides, it's better for us to eat domestic poultry. It's
just as good and safer," he remarked. (09)