C

ity administration officials on Wednesday visited Rambutan subdistrict, Ciracas, East Jakarta, where 116 chickens had died, and confirmed that two of the birds had been carrying bird flu.

“We have set up biosecurity measures to eliminate viruses within a radius of 500 meters of the location,” East Jakarta Maritime, Agriculture and Food Sovereignty sub-agency head Bayu Sari Astuti said in East Jakarta on Wednesday.

The 116 chickens, including the two suspected of carrying the bird flu virus, were owned by Sumiran, a resident of Rambutan.

Astuti stressed that no residents had been infected with bird flu, but advised people in the area to get medical check-ups to make sure they were free from the virus.

She also called on owners of fowls to certify their animals. “The certification is free of charge,” she said as reported by kompas.com, adding that further information could be obtained from the subdistrict offices.

Sumiran reported the case to the subdistrict office on Tuesday after noting the deaths of numerous birds since Monday morning.

East Jakarta Mayor Bambang Musyawardana led the raids on chicken facilities in the area after receiving reports about the incident.

Government workers disassembled chicken coops owned by Sumiran and eliminated the remaining chickens to prevent the possible spread of the virus.