September 20, 2006

Bird flu deaths still raging in Indonesia's province of North Sumatra

Five regions in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra are experiencing worrying levels of poultry deaths from bird flu, North Sumatra Animal Husbandry Office head Abdul Rahim Siregar said Tuesday (Sep 19).

He said some 20,000 poultry had been culled in the five endemic areas during the past three months. Poultry deaths in the five areas from bird flu were quite rapid and have become a cause for concern, he told The Jakarta Post.

The office has distributed 500,000 doses of bird flu vaccines provided by the central government to keep the virus at bay.

Of the 2.5 million doses the central government has provided to the province, only 500,000 have been distributed. The rest would be distributed in a few days, he added.