Spread of bird flu in RI is a cause for serious concern: UN

Spread of bird flu in RI is a cause for serious concern: UN

Associated Press, Bangkok

Although the spread of bird flu has slowed in most countries,
outbreaks have appeared across Indonesia, where government
resources are stretched thin in the fight against the disease, a
United Nations agency said Monday.

The virus has extended its range in southern Sumatra, while
West Kalimantan recently became the latest province to be
infected with the avian influenza, the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization said in a statement.

It said the disease is strongly suspected to have also spread
to Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and West Timor.

"Given the current state of avian influenza in the country,
and the limited resources available to fully implement the
control strategy, the disease is likely to continue circulating
for several months," the FAO said.

Eight Asian countries have been battling a severe form of the
avian influenza virus, and about 100 million chickens have either
died from the illness or been slaughtered since December. The
virus has jumped to humans only in Vietnam and Thailand, where a
total of 24 people have died.

Although some Asian countries have said their outbreaks are
coming under control, international health officials have
repeatedly warned that the Asia bird flu crisis isn't yet over.

Hans Wagner, the FAO's senior animal production and health
officer in Bangkok, told The Associated Press that the virus does
seem to be slowing down in most countries. The new outbreaks
reported recently in Thailand were a reemergence of the virus in
previously hit areas, he said.

However, the situation in Indonesia is much more serious than
in other countries because of "the magnitude of the outbreak and
the magnitude of the problem."

"It is very clear that the Indonesian authorities are
stretched to the limit," he said.

Indonesia has been criticized for waiting months before it
acknowledged the existence of bird flu there and for being slow
to order a culling program.

The official death toll of chickens in Indonesia is estimated
at 6.2 million, and the number of chickens culled estimated at
2.5 million. However, the FAO estimates that a total of 15
million chickens have died or been culled.

The FAO statement said the movement of livestock and livestock
products from affected areas to clear zones is a cause for
serious concern in Indonesia.

Due to inadequate resources, the government is not able to
effectively quarantine affected areas and many farms are not able
to apply basic bio-security measures, the statement said, quoting
Joseph Domenech, chief of the FAO's Animal Health Service.

Separately, the FAO said Monday that Japan has pledged US$1.6
million to help Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam in their
fights against bird flu. The FAO will use the money to provide
technical expertise, basic emergency equipment and materials for
investigations, culling operations and cleaning and disinfection
of infected premises.