Jakarta under bird flu epidemic treat

Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia, has warned that an outbreak of bird flu there could become an epidemic. Experts from around the world have converged to help controlling the situation.

 

During the past few months, sporadic human cases of bird flu have emerged in Jakarta area, where 12 million people reside. Siti Fadillah Supari, the Health Minister of Indonesia, is worried that if the cases continue to increase, it might eventually become an epidemic.

 

 

Since July, it has been confirmed that 4 Indonesians have died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has caused the death of 64 people in 4 Asian countries since late 2003, and has occurred in Russia and other European countries. 6 other patients are under treatment for suspected avian flu.

 

The World Health Organisation had warned that bird flu was moving towards a form that could be passed from human to human, and it is urgent to avoid a pandemic.

 

Anton Apriyantono, the Agriculture Minister of Indonesia, said that the government would conduct a mass cull of poultry where serious outbreak happens.

 

 

In the past, official have said that the government did not have enough money for a mass cull or to compensate farmers. State of high alert has been imposed by government to authorise the power to confine people showing virus symptoms in a hospital.

 

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