Indonesia: Avian influenza cases in early March

//08 Mar 2012
Seven cases of avian influenza in poultry in seven villages, five regencies and five provinces in Indonesia, were reported from 1 to 4 March 2012, according to data released by the Avian Influenza Disease Controlling Unit (UPPAI) of the Indonesian ministry of agriculture.
The five provinces are Nusa Tenggara Barat (in Bima), West Java (in Bandung), Banten (in Lebak), Central Java (in Semarang) and West Sumatera (in Tebing Tinggi). Of the five provinces, the highest mortality was in Bima, Nusa Tenggara Barat.

The total mortality of poultry in Bima was composed of 5,837 kampung chickens and 1,200 commercial broilers. The head of animal husbandry agency of Nusa Tenggara Barat, Syamsul Hidayat Dilaga said that if the mortality was calculated from the end of February 2012, the total mortality was as much as 8,500 chicken.

While in West Java, the head of animal husbandry agency there, Koesmayadi Tatang Padmadinata said that from 1 to 3 March 2012, as many as 314 kampung chickens died. Rapid tests showed that all the kampung chickens were positive of avian influenza, but PCR test showed only four kampung chickens were positive of avian influenza. “Another kampung chicken death may be caused by another poultry disease virus,” he suspected.

UPPAI informed that isolation, surveillance, disinfection, counseling and control on the distribution of poultry have been and continue to be made to control avian influenza in the area of the cases.