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Antara News: Bird Flu `Entrenched’ In Indonesia

 

 

# 5533

 

While no one who has been following this story for the past 6 years is likely to scream `Stop the Presses!’, today’s lengthy report from Antara News is unusually frank in its discussion of Indonesia’s H5N1 problems.

 

The Indonesian government in recent years has gone out of their way to downplay their bird flu situation.

 

In 2008, former Health Minister Supari stated (see Indonesia To Stop Announcing Bird Flu Deaths) that there was no point in continually discussing H5N1, as it was detrimental to their nation’s image. 

 

So, until very recently, they’ve refused to share viral samples with the World Health Organization, have said little publicly about outbreaks in poultry – and have been slow to provide details about human cases.

 

Since former Minister of Health Supari was replaced by Dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih in 2009, we’ve seen some subtle signs of greater transparency. Updates on human cases have come a little more often, and a deal has just been signed with the WHO on virus sharing.

 

Hopeful signs.

 

Today’s report from Antara News provides a pretty fair overview of just how well entrenched the virus remains in Indonesia. Something that will come as no surprise to most of my readers, but rarely gets this kind of media coverage inside that nation.

 

It also appears to corroborate a report of a human fatality carried by Ida on the Bird Flu Information Corner two weeks ago (see Cilacap, Central Java ::: A man possibly die of bird flu). 

 

Despite these two media reports, we’ve not seen any official announcement on this case.

 

So it remains a suspected case.

 

 

 

Bird Flu Entrenched in Indonesia

Jimmy Hitipeuw | Senin, 2 Mei 2011 | 14:56 WIB1

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Avian influenza has become deeply entrenched in Indonesia with a number of provinces and districts being infected. The H5N1 avian influenza virus is endemic among others in Java, Sumatra, Bali, and Sulawesi with sporadic outbreaks reported from other areas.

 

In North Sulawesi the bird flu spread rapidly and should be tackled optimally as it is disturbing the local community, a local poultry breeder said. "The spread of the H5N1 virus is already prevalent in a number of districts and towns, causing the sudden death of so many chickens there," North Sulawesi poultry breeders association spokesman Lexi Solang said in Manado over the weekend.

(Continue . . .)

 

 

Although we continue to see isolated human infections in Indonesia, Egypt, and around the world - for now H5N1 is primarily a threat to poultry.

 

The virus remains poorly adapted to human physiology, and despite ample opportunities to cause illness in humans, only causes rare, sporadic infections.

 

The concern, of course, is that over time that may change.  That the virus will mutate into a form that is easily acquired and passed on by humans.

 

 

And so the world remains at Pre-pandemic Phase III on the H5N1 virus, and we continue to watch for signs that the virus is adapting to humans.

 

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Bird Flu
H5N1
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