Java is front line in bird flu battle

Java is front line in bird flu battle

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Busan, South Korea

As the human death toll for avian influenza in Indonesia rises,
Singapore and the United States are planning to begin a pilot
project here to combat the outbreak.

The two countries, assisted by the World Bank and under the
guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), will set up a
center of bird flu containment in an infected area in the
country, presidential spokesman Dino Djalal said here on Friday.

"If the pilot project is deemed successful, it will be applied
in other infected areas or in other countries," he said.

The decision to launch the project was delivered during a
bilateral meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting.

Indonesia is facing difficulties fighting the outbreak alone,
raising concerns among the international community that the
country could become a breeding ground for the virus to spread
between humans and cause a global pandemic.

During the past nine months, 11 people have contracted bird
flu here, with seven people dying from the virus. Seventeen other
suspected cases are in hospitals in Java and one other is being
monitored in Bali.

At least 64 people have died in Asia from bird flu after
coming into contact with infected birds. Some 150 million poultry
have been culled in the region but migrating wild birds have
ensured the spread of the disease has continued unabated.

Dino said Susilo and Lee also spoke about the progress of the
negotiations to create an extradition treaty between the two
countries, which he called a "very constructive negotiation."

Cooperation in defense and security and efforts to step up the
fight against terrorism were also on the agenda, with Lee
praising Indonesia's recent achievement, the death of Jamaah
Islamiyah terrorist Azahari bin Husin.

Regarding trade, Lee told Susilo that Singapore had started
publishing the country's trade statistics with Indonesia since
January this year in an effort to help Indonesia fight smuggling
and other illicit trade activities.

"Singapore will transparently publish the real picture of the
trade statistics between the two countries on a regular basis,
including export and import figures from third countries. This is
to help the two countries curb smuggling," Dino said.