Indonesia Slaughters 1300 Poultry After Boy Dies

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 01 Jun 2006 - 9:00 PDT

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Indonesian authorities say they have slaughtered over 1000 poultry in the Tasikmalaya district of West Java province, after tests indicated that a 15-year-old boy probably died of H5N1 bird flu infection. Confirmation is pending from a WHO-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong. During May one human died in Indonesia of bird flu every 2.5 days.

This is the third bird flu death in the West Java province. Last week an 18-year old male and his 10-year old sister died.

So far, 127 people have died of bird flu infection worldwide, of which 36 died in Indonesia. If Indonesia's death toll continues to rise as it did last month, it will not be long before it overtakes Vietnam, with 42 deaths. Vietnam has had more deaths than anywhere else.

Experts are urging richer nations to help out poorer countries in the slaughter of poultry. Compensating farmers for their lost chickens costs more than many countries can afford. In order to stem the spread of bird flu infection among farmed birds it is vital to be able to cull birds around and infected area.

Scientists fear that H5N1 may have established itself in Indonesia. This could mean that the virus is there to stay for several years. If regions, such as Indonesia and parts of Africa don't manage to combat the spread of H5N1, it will become endemic. Other parts of the world will become re-infected frequently, making it much harder to contain the geographical movements of the virus.

Apart from having the financial burden of compensating farmers, Indonesia is a country of 1700 islands and several languages. Knowing exactly where each bird flu outbreak occurs is a monumental and expensive task. In Africa, where distances are great and many areas have weak veterinary services, keeping track of things is also extremely difficult. A high percentage of African poultry keepers and farmers do not know what the signs of bird flu infection are. Experts say agencies and governments around the world need to help African governments launch effective public awareness campaigns.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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