March 19, 2008

Indonesia in a tight struggle to contain bird flu
 

Fears have intensified in Indonesia as bird flu swept through 31 out of 33 provinces and the government has not been able to contain the disease despite undertaking containment efforts.

About 20 percent of Indonesia's 1.4 billion chicken population are scattered in about 30 million backyards, where people raise poultry for food or income.

Indonesia requires major human and financial resources, stronger political commitment and a more centralised administration to improve surveillance and control measures, according to Joseph Domenech, chief veterinary officer of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Domenech said the bird flu situation in Indonesia is very serious, and all international and national authorities have to improve their efforts in stopping the spreading of the disease in animals, and to make the fight against bird flu a top priority.

It has been observed that current bird flu vaccines may not be fully protecting poultry against the newly emerged H5N1 strains and the development of better poultry vaccines is essential, Domenech said, adding that the Indonesian ministry of agriculture is looking into this issue.

Indonesia's major challenge is to immediately apply the main components of a successful bird flu control strategy that is based on effective surveillance, emergency culling and compensation, vaccination, improved biosecurity, effective laboratory and quarantine procedures, and movement controls of poultry and poultry products, according to Domenech.

FAO is currently assisting the Indonesia authorities by training local teams of animal health professionals and providing technical and policy advises.