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Indonesia to Step Up Bird Flu Testing, Culling

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 09:01 CST

Indonesia to step up bird flu testing, culling

JAKARTA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will intensify testing and culling on birds possibly infected with avian influenza virus, that has killed 19 out of 27 contracted people, the Indonesian agriculture minister told Xinhua here Monday.

Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono said that the massive movement would begin in Jakarta on Feb. 24 and be followed by other 32 provinces of the country.

Of the 32 provinces, five provinces Banten, Lampung, West Java, Cental Java and Central Sulawesi will have a priority in testing and culling as they are worse hit by the virus, said Anton.

"In Jakarta, on February 24, it would be door-to-door checks. This is the first time checking in big scale, involving many people," he said.

The minister said the authorities will conduct a depopulation in a radius of one kilometer when a case is found in the area, which will be followed by vaccination of all poultry in a radius of three kilometers.

He said that the ministry has provided over 30 billion rupiah ( some 3 million U.S. dollars) to finance the move and allocated 10, 000 rupiah for compensation of each infected bird.

He also said that the ministry also make another option for expensive cost animals.

"For a very-high price pet, it would be quarantined in the house, then the house is signed with a symbol meaning that there is an animal being quarantined in the house," said Anton.

Spokesperson of the Jakarta Health Department Evi Zelvina told Xinhua in telephone that the health authorities in the city will have a meeting on Tuesday to determine further steps for the upcoming massive check due to be on Thursday.

Indonesian Health Minister Siti Sufari Padilah said that Indonesia was number one in term of cluster infected by the H5N1 virus and the number of cases.

Indonesia has made fighting bird flu as one of the government's top priorities.

The WHO has said that the virus is out of control in the world now as it has spread to Russia, Europe, Turkey, Africa and Middle East.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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