August 2, 2006

Bird flu returns with a vengeance in Indonesia

Two provinces in Indonesia, South Sulawesi and Northern Sumatra, have been hit by bird flu outbreaks, local news reports indicated.

More than 1500 chickens last week died from the flu in two regions of South Sulawesi- Bone and Sinjai.

Containment measures would be hampered as parts of Sinjai have recently been flooded and landslides have occurred.

Experts say that as the cold season begins in August, the virus becomes more widespread. Infections would peak in December and January.

Officials have vaccinated chickens in the area but the virus has not been stopped. In Bone, chicken deaths rose suddenly to more than 1000. The local government has tried to combat it by providing thousands of vaccinations, while local communities in Sinjai started an initiative to slaughter poultry to prevent the virus from spreading to humans.

Bird flu has also been reported in the resort island of Bali but officials responded quickly to protect tourist revenue. So far, authorities said the virus is under control.

Bird flu has also re-emerged in Thailand and Vietnam where it was thought to have been eradicated until two weeks ago.