Indonesia in bird flu alert condition

The general director of directorate general of livestock and animal health of Indonesia, Syukur Iwantoro recently reminded the public to be wary of bird flu during this rainy season.

From 1 January to 20 January 2012, Iwantoro said that bird flu cases in poultry have been found in seven villages in seven districts in six provinces. The six provinces are Central Java (in Sragen and Brebes), East Java (in Lamongan), Riau (in Pekanbaru), East Kalimantan (in Panajam Paser Utara), Jambi (in Muaro Jambi) and South Sulawesi (in Sidrap).

“Of the six provinces, the number of dead birds is as much as 1,073 birds. The largest number is in Sidrap, a total of 723 laying hens died,” Iwantoro informed.

Concerning cases of bird flu in humans that occurs in Jakarta, the ministry of health has claimed that two people died of bird flu. The first, a 23 year old man, on 7 January 2012 and the second, a 5 year old girl, on 16 January 2012.