The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The spread of bird flu in Jakarta has been much like the spread of dengue fever and tuberculosis, which have been difficult to contain, despite the city's tough bylaw on poultry control, an official said recently.
"This disease, this virus, it's no simple virus... it's like dengue fever or tuberculosis which are still prevalent in this country," Bayu Krisnamurti, chief executive of the National Commission for Avian Influenza Control, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
Dengue fever, a mosquito borne disease, claimed 86 lives among 31,682 reported cases in Jakarta last year.
Commenting on the country's bird flu death toll, which is the highest in the world, Bayu said it was "nothing special because bird flu cases are found everywhere".
As many as 101 people died from bird flu out of some 125 reported cases in Indonesia. Other countries with the highest fatalities include Vietnam with 48, Egypt 19 and China and Thailand with 17 each, according to data from the World Health Organization.
Indonesia's latest bird flu victim was a 32-year-old man from Tangerang who died in Persahabatan Hospital, East Jakarta, on Jan. 29.
Jakarta has been the hardest hit city, with 25 deaths resulting from the 29 cases reported, the commission said.
Scientists say the bird flu viral strain could one day mutate and begin transmitting from human to human, with the worst-case scenario being a global pandemic.
Bayu said the commission had done its best to contain a possible outbreak.
"Basically, we are giving it our 100 percent," he said.
Meanwhile, fowls kept as pets can still be found in Jakarta, despite a city bylaw which prohibits residents from keeping chickens, pigeons or quails in their homes.
Salami, head of a Duren Sawit community unit in East Jakarta, told the Post he had just bought a live chicken from a couple in his neighborhood who were keeping it as a pet.
The owners had brought it to his attention because they were afraid it could have bird flu, Salami said.
"I told them they couldn't keep it, and that the government would find out and dispatch it without compensation, but they were still reluctant so I offered to buy and kill it for them," Salami said.
He said the city Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Agency had swept the area for poultry on several occasions.
"They probably just missed this one, hopefully just this one," he said. (anw)
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