# 4736
Two days ago Crof over at Crofsblog had an item from ANTARA News on the deaths of thousands of chickens at three villages in the Bengkulu Province of Indonesia over the past three weeks.
As Crof rightfully pointed out, this was almost surely B2B H5N1 . . . but the article didn’t even mention the possibility.
Instead it contained this assurance:
Fortunately the disease was predicted not to attack humans since there were no unusual cases of people having an unknown disease in the past weeks.
Fast forward two days and now we get this (machine translated) report via the indefatigable Dutchy on FluTrackers.
Dozens of chickens in Bengkulu Positive H5N1
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 | 9:11 pmBengkulu, KOMPAS.com - Dozens of chickens that died suddenly Monday, July 19th at the Village New Regency Bandung Kepahyang Pagar Dewa and Village is a positive Bengkulu City infected with bird flu virus.
Chickens in the village of New Regency Bandung Kepahyang, Bengkulu Province positive influenza virus birds (H5N1) after inspection by animal infectious disease control local, says the coordinator of Avian Influenza Control Center Area Bengkulu, Emran Kuswadi, Tuesday (07/20/2010).
New Bandung village known as 11 chickens that died of bird flu virus fositif, while dozens of dead birds in the village Pagar Dewa could not be ascertained because suspected infected chicken carcasses had been disposed citizens.
Knowledgeable incident is over with the help of local residents to report to officers bird flu control in the field. "We sent down the officer to know that, through results state officials are testing positive chickens infected with bird flu, "said Emran.
Poultry in the vicinity had to be immediately quarantined to a location remote from that location to disease is not harmful to animals in this area. "We went to that location to assist local communities in order to learn what to do if find it, "said Emran Kuswandi.
There are still birds around it will be tested, if necessary, the chicken around it should be burned cage with a deadly virus is believed to have the animal population.
Communities in These areas are asked to remain vigilant against the virus and if knowing the symptoms and in order to report the incident immediately to the officer or local government agencies so that not be contagious to other birds.
Kuswandi Emran said the public should know what to do if it finds this, by burning or burying carcasses that exist and do not throw it in just anywhere.
It is sobering that in a country where bird flu has been endemic for many years and has killed more than 135 of its people that such an obvious outbreak could run for several weeks before being properly identified and control measures put in place.
Unfortunately, suspicious die offs of poultry there are so commonplace as to rarely warrant media attention. Indonesia hasn’t filed an OIE report since September of 2006.
You can find a background report on Indonesia’s ongoing bird flu problem at IRIN: Indonesian Bird Flu Risk Remains High.
