South Sulawesi implements first urban bird flu simulation

The Makassar municipal government in South Sulawesi, Indonesia held a first bird flu simulation in Tamangapa sub district, Manggala district, to train institutions on how to handle a bird flu outbreak.

The two-hour simulation held on Saturday (November 15) involved at least 300 people from various institutions, including the Health Agency, the Food Self-Reliance and Marine Agency, the Education Agency, the Communication Agency, the National Police, the Indonesian Army and the public service centre. 

The simulation involved poultry deaths that caused the death of two residents. Mock tests conducted by the local authority at the incident site showed that the affected poultry and the two residents were positively infected by the bird flu virus.

Only personnel who wore special protective garments were permitted to enter the infected area. They then evacuated the victims, dealt with the infected poultry and sterilized the location. Affected victims who had just been evacuated from the pandemic location were placed in a sterile area. An emergency post, shelters and a communal kitchen in the sterile location zone was set up for evacuees.

The last reported case of a person dying from bird flu in Makassar was Akirah, 14, resident of Jl. Maccini, Makassar, who died in June 2006.

The municipality had scheduled to set up simulations at busy public places, for example in shopping mall centers, hospitals, schools, harbors and airports. 

Meanwhile, seven out of 17 bird flu suspected patients in Wahidin Sudirohusodo general hospital in Makassar who have been declared bird flu free have been sent home, while the rest were still at the hospital, for further treatment.