Vigilance urged over avian flu
Vigilance urged over avian flu
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya/Yogyakarta
The government declared on Monday that the outbreak of avian
influenza in the country was an "extraordinary" situation after
it reported a fourth human fatality and two new cases of humans
infection.
Minister of Health Fadilah Supari said the status had been
imposed to alert both the public and authorities to the risk of
the bird flu spreading
Under this status, people who exhibit the symptoms of bird flu
can be forcibly hospitalized, while the government will provide
free medication.
"We expect people to be more cautious across the country,"
Siti said, adding that the extraordinary status would last for 21
days in the preliminary stage.
"We hope we will be more aggressive in the face of the
outbreak and that financing to curb it will be focused," the
minister added.
The government confirmed last week the death of a 37-year-old
Jakarta resident from the virus. Previously a resident of
Tangerang, Banten, and his two young daughters were also killed
by the H5N1 virus.
As of Monday afternoon, four children have been admitted to
Sulianti Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta. Two of them have
tested positive for the virus. Samples of the blood of the other
two have been sent to a Hong Kong laboratory.
Siti said children were more vulnerable to the virus than
adults.
"Keep your surroundings clean, keep your birds clean. If you
show flu-like symptoms -- your temperature is high and you have
breathing difficulties -- go to the hospital immediately and tell
the doctors there," Siti advised.
She said the government had assigned 44 state-owned hospitals
to treat bird flu patients.
Separately, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi
Shihab said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would hold a
Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss strategies including
funding to curb the outbreak.
The government has allocated Rp 158 billion (about US$15.8
million) to battle bird flu but Siti said more funds would be
needed.
Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyanto said his office needed
more money to handle sick birds, but acknowledged that the
government lacked the money to carry out a mass cull as suggested
by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO requires that poultry within a radius of three
kilometers from any bird flu outbreak be killed.
WHO director general Lee Jong-Wook on Monday urged nations to
prepare for a bird flu pandemic, saying they should not be caught
unawares by an obvious threat, AFP reported.
Jakarta's Ragunan Zoo remains closed following the discovery
of infected birds there. During its closure the area will be
sterilized.
Meanwhile, the management of Surabaya Zoo in East Java has
issued a policy, banning zookeepers from visiting commercial
poultry farms. The zoo remained open on Monday.
In Yogyakarta, the management of Gembiraloka Zoo checked their
birds for the flu. However, the zoo also remained opened on
Monday.