July 23, 2004

Indonesia Begins Bird Flu Vaccinations
 

Indonesia has launched a major vaccination programme to eradicate bird flu, which is lingering in some districts after an outbreak earlier this year, an official said yesterday.

The Agriculture Ministry said avian influenza killed 3,161 birds in three districts on Java island in May and a further 1,760 in June in another Javanese district.

Ms Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, director of animal health, said infections occurred only in areas previously affected by the outbreak, which peaked in January and February. She said some farmers in those areas had neglected procedures by using illegal vaccines and restocking their poultry too early.

'The scale is small and we can't say it's a new epidemic. Avian influenza is not easy to control because without strict bio-security, the virus will not disappear,' she said.

The ministry said on its website that the disease is under control.

Ms Naipospos said the government has launched a major vaccination campaign, with some 300 million doses of vaccine being distributed in stages.

An outbreak of bird flu early this year killed 24 people in Vietnam and Thailand and millions of chicken in 10 Asian countries. No Indonesian is known to be infected by the virus.