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Editorial: Bird flu strikes back
Avian flu, which has killed 141 people in Indonesia since 2005, has returned
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vian flu, which has killed 141 people in Indonesia since 2005, has returned. Several regions have recently reported outbreaks. Though no one has yet died after the virus’ reappearance, bird flu must not be taken lightly. Our experience in the past, especially during the global bird flu outbreak in 2006, shows that the H5N1 virus can spread quickly due to negligence, if not unpreparedness.
Indications of the outbreaks were easily detected as they followed the national and global alert textbook. Hundreds of chicken suddenly died in Deli Serdang regency in North Sumatra, Surakarta, Central Java and Garut regency, West Java. Five people also displayed flu symptoms soon after hundreds of poultry in their neighborhoods died.
This time the local governments have responded quickly, taking all necessary preliminary measures, including intensifying supervision, distributing brochures on how to deal with the virus and preparing medicine in case the virus infects humans.
A mass culling of infected fowl and the restriction of poultry distribution were ordered in Deli Serdang. Disinfectant was sprayed in areas where chickens were suspected to have died from the virus.
Local authorities have learned from their previous mistakes, when a combination of a lack of awareness and misinformation turned the virus into a ruthless harbinger of death.
The fact that the virus has reappeared and struck back almost unnoticed should serve as a reminder that we have not done enough to stop the disease from recurring.
The World Health Organization has underlined that the fight against avian influenza should involve agricultural officials and farmers as the virus infects animals in the first place.
The world body said that a good response to H5N1 would require active surveillance of animals to rapidly detect cases, solid diagnosis, fair compensation for farmers who have to cull birds and public information and education programs.
In many cases, bird flu struck after poultry farmers failed to change their business-as-usual mindset, despite repeated epidemics. The farmers remained unaware of hygiene and maintained their traditional backyard chicken pens until their livestock grew sick and died.
Not everyone takes prevention seriously, despite the fact that the country tops the list of vulnerable nations. The Pacitan administration in East Java is a striking example. Bird flu is endemic in the regency, which is the hometown of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but the local husbandry agency has not allocated money to prevent virus outbreaks. It comes as no surprise that the virus reappeared in Pacitan late last month and has now spread to all 12 districts across the regency.
Indonesia has pledged to eliminate the H5N1 virus by 2014, but the goal may not be achieved without major changes in the way we deal with it.
While it may be true that the Health Ministry has mapped out at-risk regions and issued guidelines on how to prevent and mitigate the impacts of an outbreak, winning the war on bird flu will mostly depend on public support.
There is no other choice but to call on the public to remain vigilant and to promote a hygienic lifestyle, the most proven effective weapons so far to keep the H5N1 virus, and all sources of diseases, at bay.
