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Avian flu outbreaks in East Java, Riau
Hundreds of chickens have died in fresh outbreaks of avian flu in Riau and East Java
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Hundreds of chickens have died in fresh outbreaks of avian flu in Riau and East Java.
The outbreak in Riau was centered in Meranti Island regency and Pekanbaru city.
Authorities declared avian flu “endemic” in Pacitan, East Java after a dozen outbreaks were reported in the regency.
Residents of Rumbai Pesisir in Pekanbaru, Riau, were reportedly haunted by anxiety following the sporadic deaths of many of their chickens over the last three weeks.
“The Pekanbaru Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Office has confirmed that the dead chickens were infected with the avian flu virus,” resident Masril, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Masril said that first dead chickens were discovered on Feb. 4. “After that the infection spread everywhere,” he said.
Pekanbaru Health Office chief Dahril Darwis said he deployed a team to monitor the outbreak and distributed doses of tamiflu, used to suppress and decrease transmission of the virus, to local community health centers.
On Meranti Island, the administration ordered a mass culling of the local poultry industry to stop the spread of the virus.
Meranti Island deputy mayor Masrul Kasmy said that all poultry would be culled within a one-kilometer radius of Bina Maju and Bokor villages in Rangsang Barat district.
Authorities said the most recent outbreaks meant avian flu was “endemic” in 12 districts in Pacitan following the virus’ last appearance in 2010.
Pacitan Food, Crops and Animal Husbandry Office head Fatkhur Rozi said the most recent outbreak in the regency was discovered in January.
“Nearly all districts in Pacitan were previously afflicted by avian flu. No area can be said to be safe,” Fatkhur said, as quoted by Antara news agency. The latest outbreak, was in Ploso village, he said.
The worst hit areas, he said, were the districts of Nawangan, Sudimoro, Donorojo, Kebonagung and Tulakan.
According to the office, the number of dead chickens in each infected area ranged from 30 to 100.
“The real numbers might be much higher because many dead chickens were not reported,” he said.
Fatkhur said that the high number of avian flu cases in Pacitan could be attributed to local residents’ ignorance of the importance of clean poultry sheds and a lack of participation in vaccination programs.
“They frequently said they would join vaccination [programs] and clean their sheds after their hens were infected. But as soon as the problem was settled, the people went back to their old habits and didn’t bother with it again,” he said.
The problem is that even though avian flu was declared endemic in Pacitan regency, the local administration did not earmark any special fund to fight it, he said.
