October 5, 2006

Indonesian tests show fit chickens carrying bird flu

Healthy chickens could be a carrier of the bird flu virus even if it shows no symptoms of the illness, an Indonesian health official in the region of Bandung warned Wednesday (Oct 4).

The West Java Animal Husbandry Office sounded the warning after testing 20 healthy chickens near the house of two human bird flu victims who died from the virus recently. 

Currently, people are only made aware of bird flu when chickens die suddenly in their neighbourhood, but healthy chickens could also be carriers, Rachmat Setiadi, head of the department warned.

Out of Bandung's 26 cities and regencies, only two are free of the virus in poultry.

Rachmat believed Bandung is not the only place where healthy chickens were infected with bird flu

Tests on 11 dogs kept by the family of bird flu victims had come back negative, according to the Bandung City Agriculture Office, indicating that dogs could not spread the virus.