[Kabar-indonesia] More Bird Flu Among Indonesia Poultry Than Thought - Expert [+Malaysia]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: Malaysia Free From Bird Flu - Agriculture Minister

More Bird Flu Among Indonesia Poultry Than Thought - Expert

JAKARTA, June 22 (AP)--An animal health expert Thursday said that bird flu 
was more widespread in poultry in Indonesia than previously thought. 

More outbreaks are occurring in poultry than earlier thought, said Jeff 
Mariner, 
an animal health expert from Tufts University working with the U.N. Food and 
Agriculture Organization in Jakarta. 

He is coordinating a pilot project that involves local surveillance teams 
conducting field interviews to track backyard poultry that have rapidly died. The 
teams then 
use bird flu test kits to identify outbreaks. 

In the 12 pilot districts on Java Island, 78 poultry outbreaks were detected 
from January to May. Birds discovered in those outbreaks were slaughtered to 
limit the spread of infection. 

"We thought there was dramatic underreporting, but we never imagined that it 
would be so pervasive," Mariner said on the sidelines of a meeting the world's 
top bird flu experts. "These numbers of outbreaks only represent, say, a 
third of the coverage in the district." 

The three-day meeting that wraps up Thursday, was convened after Indonesia 
asked for international help to battle the disease. The country has recorded the 
world's highest number of human bird flu cases this year, and 39 of those 
infected have died. 

Bird flu has killed at least 130 people worldwide since it began ravaging 
Asian poultry stocks in late 2003. Experts fear the virus will mutate into a form 
that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a pandemic. So far, it 
remains hard for people to catch, and most human cases have been traced to 
contact with infected birds. 

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Malaysia Free From Bird Flu - Agriculture Minister

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, June 22 (AP)--Malaysia officially declared itself free 
of bird flu Thursday, three months after the last outbreak of the virulent H5N1 
strain was detected in chickens in a northern village. 

"Based on our surveillance, there is no longer evidence of any more H5N1 
cases in our country," Malaysian Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said at a 
news conference. "Malaysia is now formally pronounced free of bird flu." 

Veterinary authorities slaughtered more than 58,000 farmed poultry and wild 
birds in February and March following outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in the 
central and northern states of Selangor, Perak and Penang, Muhyiddin said. 

The infections - which Muhyiddin linked to migratory birds from other Asian 
countries, possibly China and Vietnam - mainly involved chickens, ducks and 
other birds in isolated villages. Malaysia hasn't reported any human infections. 

The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health considers countries to 
be free of bird flu after three consecutive months without a new outbreak. 

However, the change in status won't necessarily mean that any countries that 
banned or suspended the import of Malaysian poultry products will immediately 
lift restrictions. 

Malaysia will remain vigilant by preventing birds and eggs from being brought 
into Malaysia from bird flu-affected nations such as Indonesia and 
encouraging villagers not to let their chickens roam too freely, Muhyiddin said. 

"The danger is still there, because our region is still not free from bird 
flu," Muhyiddin said. "We will guard our borders. We cannot be careless or 
complacent. With such measures, we hope our poultry industry will recover swiftly." 

Farmers have estimated that Malaysia's poultry industry, which comprises some 
6,000 breeders, lost at least 1.5 billion ringgit ($420 million) earlier this 
year after farmed chicken sales plunged because consumers were scared off 
eating chicken. 

The H5N1 bird flu virus has killed at least 130 people worldwide since it 
began spreading in Asia in late 2003. It killed or forced the slaughter of tens 
of millions of birds before later spreading to Europe, the Middle East and 
Africa. 

Bird flu is currently transmitted from birds to humans, but health experts 
fear that if the virus mutated into a form easily passed between people, it 
could trigger a global pandemic that could kill millions. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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