Govt finally admits to bird flu dangers

Govt finally admits to bird flu dangers

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government confirmed on Tuesday that avian influenza,
which has been killing millions of chickens here, was the
dangerous H5N1 strain that could also kill humans.

However, it was quick to insist that so far there were no
signs that the disease had infected humans.

"The strain is pathogenic upon poultry and if it mutates, it
could be transmitted to humans ... but so far there have been no
cases among humans," animal health director at the Ministry of
Agriculture Tri Satya Putri Naipospos H. told a media conference.

She said the conclusion was based on a laboratory test on Jan.
31 using antiserum imported from England.

A similar strain has been attacking poultry in Vietnam, Hong
Kong, Thailand and China, killing tens of millions of chickens.
In Vietnam and Thailand, the disease has killed 12 people in
addition to millions of chickens.

The government officially confirmed the outbreak of avian
influenza in Indonesia on Jan. 25, several months after the first
few cases were detected in several areas. The disease has thus
far killed about 4.7 million chickens in the country, costing the
industry about Rp 7.7 trillion (US$911 million).

Tri said the government would adopt a two-pronged response to
combating the disease.

For existing cases, healthy chickens sharing the same coops as
infected ones would be killed, while those within one kilometer
would be vaccinated.

"If a new case occurs in a new area, we shall resort to
stamping-out, which is mass culling at the infected farm and
other farms within a radius of one kilometer," she said.

According to Tri, H5N1 vaccines are now available for farmers
free of charge, produced domestically by Pusat Veterinaria Farma
(Pusvatma), Surabaya, PT. Vaksindo Satwa Nusantara, Bogor, and PT
Medion, Bandung.

In addition, the government has allowed PT Biofarma to import
the antiserum to meet local demand, estimated at 120 million
doses per month.

Separately, director of animal-sourced disease eradication at
the Ministry of Health Thomas Suroso said, thus far, no cases of
humans infected by the H5N1 strain had been found in the country.

Blood samples had been taken from several chicken farmers
considered at high risk of being infected by the disease in both
Tabanan, Bali, and Tangerang, Banten, which are among the areas
to have been hit by avian influenza.

"We have taken 102 blood samples from Tabanan -- including
that of three-and-a-half-year-old Kadek, earlier reported to have
been infected by the virus -- and 100 from Tangerang," said
Thomas.

He said his office was awaiting the arrival of all the blood
samples, but as of Tuesday morning, tests on 72 samples from each
location had indicated negative results.

Thomas advised chicken farmers to wear N-95 or three-sheet
surgery masks, gloves, goggles and boots when working on their
farms or in close proximity to poultry.

Tri said in order to curb the spread of avian influenza, the
government had started culling infected chickens while providing
compensation to small farmers whose poultry was infected or
reinfected after Jan. 29.

"We shall give compensation only to small, traditional
farmers, but culling should also be carried out by all large,
medium and small-scale enterprises if they find their poultry hit
by the disease," said Tri.

Small, traditional farmers are defined as those who have up to
10,000 egg-laying or 15,000 meat-producing chickens.

Farmers will receive compensation amounting to the price of
day-old chickens (DOCs) plus feed costs for one month for chicken
meat producers and feed costs for two months for egg-laying
chicken owners. Each farmer will receive compensation for up to a
maximum of 5,000 chickens.

Officials have said the government has made available Rp 212
billion for vaccination, compensation and coop sterilization.