Two districts still prone to avian flu

Tue, 04/22/2008 10:40 AM  |  City

JAKARTA: Two districts in West Jakarta, Cengkareng and Kalideres, have done little to stop backyard poultry farms to cut the risk of bird flu, an agency head said Monday.

"Backyard farming is not managed well in the districts, despite the fact that three people from the area have died from the disease," the head of the West Jakarta Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Agency, Chaidir Taufik, was quoted by Tempointeraktif.com on Monday.

Through the first week of April, the agency had issued 263 warning letters to cull fowl in the two districts, with 205 of those warnings given to Kalideres residents.

The agency threatened to take "serious measures" if residents ignored the warning letters.

Chaidir said if residents wanted to keep poultry, they should obtain certificates officially acknowledging their birds as free from avian influenza. The certificates must be renewed periodically.

The agency has issued more than 8,000 certificates but only around 2,000 have been renewed. -- JP

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