Hundreds of Indonesians clad in protective gear fanned out
across the bird-flu-hit capital of Jakarta on Friday hunting for
sick fowl. This came as France confirmed the presence of a flu
virus at a farm where thousands of turkeys have died.
Bird flu has spread rapidly across Europe this month, but so far
it has only affected wild birds. Newly infected Nigeria, Egypt and
India have also had major outbreaks in poultry.
If confirmed, the French case would mark the first time the H5N1
virus has spread to domestic fowl in the European Union and could
deal a further blow to France's already battered poultry industry,
worth € 6 billion (US$7 billion) a year.
In Jakarta about 600 inspectors sprayed disinfectant in bird
cages and chicken coops across the city where backyard chickens are
commonplace.
"We need co-operation from the people. In any case, we have to
choose our own safety and the life of the people over that of the
fowls and the singing birds," Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on
Friday at the launch of the campaign to stamp out the virus.
Bird flu has killed at least 19 people in Indonesia, the second
highest death toll in the world after Viet Nam, with the H5N1 virus
present in 26 of the country's 33 provinces. Many of the human
cases have been in or around the capital city.
Health workers launched their own clean-up campaign in western
India after the country's first outbreak of bird flu.
Health officials said fears of human infections were easing as
11 of the 12 people quarantined had tested negative for the H5N1
strain. The last sample had to undergo further tests to
conclusively decide its status. The result was expected on
Saturday.
Two more people have been quarantined, including a veterinary
worker involved in the culling of chickens in Navapur town in
Maharashtra state where India's first H5N1 outbreak among chickens
was confirmed last week.
Europe is preparing for more cases of H5N1 as the spring
migration season approaches and new species, possibly already
infected, arrive from Africa.
Cambodia said on Friday bird flu had returned after the virus
was found in dead ducks near the border with Viet Nam.
(China Daily February 25, 2006)
