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ew bird flu cases have been detected in 11 of West Java’s 26 cities and regencies. Experts are blaming a lack of public awareness about the importance of cleanliness when handling poultry coupled with the effects of climate change.

Since Jan. 4, 2011, there have been 41 reported avian flu infections in humans in Indonesia, with nearly 33,929 chickens dead from the virus.

West Java Animal Husbandry Office head Kusmayadi said Monday that the virus was spreading because of the unpredictable weather.

The public’s awareness of the importance of cleanliness in poultry sheds has also dropped significantly.

The largest number of chicken deaths was found in a poultry shed in Sukabumi, where 30,000 chickens had died.

“Raining, dry, raining, dry. The weather has strengthened the attacking power of the virus at a time when public awareness is diminishing,” Kusmayadi said.

The 11 cities and regencies struck by the new bird flu outbreaks were Bekasi, West Bandung, Purwakarta, Majalengka, Sukabumi, Kuningan, Indramayu, Garut, Depok, Bogor and Sumedang.

The latest case was in Garut, where 1,000 chickens raised in residents’ yards were reported to have died since Jan. 12, 2011, because of the virus.

“They were late to report [the deaths] and the chicken carcasses were thrown randomly in open fields,” Garut Animal Husbandry Office head Dida K. Endang said.

Garut General Hospital has also been treating two patients since last week suspected of having bird flu. The two patients were a 49-year-old and a nine-month-old infant.

The two had high fevers reaching 38 degrees Celsius and were suffering from breathing problems. The results of blood tests were not yet available, Garut Health Office head Dede Rohmansyah said.

“There have been 163 patients suffering from influenza-like illnesses in the areas where dead chickens were found. But, hopefully, they are not infected with bird flu,” Dede said.

In Dumai, Riau, a bird flu outbreak was also reported following the discovery of hundreds of dead chickens in a number of areas.

Agus of the Pekanbaru Animal Husbandry Office said Monday that bird flu infections had been detected in several subdistricts in West Dumai district.

“After checking the officers found one bird flu infection in Bukit Timah subdistrict. Out of the three chickens tested, two were bird flu positive,” Agus said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Meanwhile, in Surakarta, Central Java, the local agriculture office declared all cattle and goats there were free of anthrax infections after receiving test results.

The announcement was made following a recent anthrax outbreak in adjacent Boyolali.

A team was immediately deployed to test the cattle and goats in Surakarta in a bid to prevent the spread of anthrax.