# 871
Despite the lack of coverage by the mainstream media, events continue to proceed at a disturbing pace in Indonesia. In fact, were these events happening in any other nation of the world, I suspect the news would be all over it.
I don't normally give much coverage to local media stories because they are so difficult to verify, and often they appear and we never hear a follow up. But, since other major media outlets seem content to wait until official announcements are made by the Health Ministry, local media reports are about as good of an indication of what is going on as we can get.
But first, a few caveats.
All of these articles were written originally in Bahasa, and machine translated. Language translators can often mangle the original meaning or intent of the author. Some words have multiple meanings, and the translator may guess incorrectly at the English equivalent. Genders are often switched, and `he' be comes `she', or `her' becomes `his'.
Sometimes we will see a phrase like "the number of patients reporting flu burung improved". This sounds like good news, but in fact, `improved' means increased in this instance. Sometimes reading these accounts is like following an Abbott and Costello routine.
And lastly, it must be stated that the reportage out of Indonesia sometimes suffers from sensationalism. Everything gathered from local media reports needs to be viewed in context, and not relied upon as being necessarily accurate.
While today's list of stories was gathered off the Wiki's Indonesia thread, newshounds on other forums such as Flutrackers, PFI, PFP, and CE are also tracking and reporting many of the same stories. A hat tip to each and every one of these hard working folks for doing a difficult and time consuming job.
The following are just a few excerpts from a handful of the dozens of reports gathered by our newshounds. All of these stories were found, translated, and posted by bgw in MT on the Wiki (who obviously never sleeps!)
Last Wednesday it was reported that bird flu had been reported in 30, out of the 33 provinces of Indonesia.
Menyebar bird flu in 30 provinces
Yogyakarta - the Plague of bird flu it was reported spread in 30 provinces se Indonesia. So, the socialisation of the handling of the virus of Afian Influenza (AI) was stimulated again in various territories.
That was revealed by Komnas Flu Burung Central Java Chairman and DIY, Charles Rangga Tabbu, in Workshop Pembentukan of the Zoonosa Team that in the Matahari Hotel, Street Parangtritis, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday (6/6/2007).
Stressed, the spreading of the AI virus has spread in 30 from 33 provinces se Indonesia. According to Charles, at this time was needed by the interest and the community's tall participation related the danger, the prevention and the system pelaporan the AI case in respectively the territory.
On Friday, we get this report.
Bird flu in Madiun spread to 52 villages
Madiun, Kompas - the Case of bird flu that attacked the poultry in the Madiun Regency has worried. This was based in increasingly expanded him the spreading territory of bird flu as far as 52 points or the village, as well as continued the poultry increase that was destroyed with the number around 6,000 tails of the chicken kind and birds puyuh.
And also on Friday we get this disturbing report. I'd caution my readers that the people reporting `bird flu symptoms' could just as easily be suffering from common seasonal flu, dengue fever, or even chikungunya or malaria. It isn't possible at this time to know if any of these patients are suffering from bird flu.
Nevertheless, this article describes dozens of people in a village in Trengglalek (a regency in East Java) complaining of fever, cough, and breathlessness following the deaths of poultry in the area. They are apparently flocking the local community health center and appear somewhat panicked.
Dozens of residents Trenggalek Aaami the sign of Burung Flu
TRENGGALEK, on Friday- Dozens Of villagers Malasan, Kecamatan Durenan,of Kabupaten Trenggalek, East Java, in a crowd memeriksakan himself to the local Community Health Centre because of experiencing signs was similar was attacked by the bird flu virus to humankind (H5N1).
"Since yesterday afternoon the resident visited the Community Health Centre because worried was affected by the bird flu attack that in recent times has been increasingly bright happened in the Malasan Village," said Kasi Pemerintahan of the Durenan Subdistrict, Suwasis, to Antara in Durenan, on Friday morning. According to him, dozens of residents experienced flu was accompanied breathless since several last days after being found belasan the tail of the property chicken of one of the residents died suddenly.
In the same area where people are reporting `flu-like' symptoms, a massive culling operation has been ordered. Unggas are chickens, by the way. Once again, thanks to bgw in MT for this report.
Destroy 14,000 Unggas - Anticipation of the Spreading of the Flu Burung
TRENGGALEK Virus- anticipated the spread of the bird flu virus, yesterday around 14,000 poultries belonging to the resident of the Compok Village, Desa Malasan, was destroyed in a mass fashion.
The extermination was carried out by the official of Trenggalek Livestock Breeding of the Service with the local resident. It was big that the possibility of the number of poultries that was destroyed will improve.
And bird flu has apparently spread to 10 villages in the Trenggalek regency.
Spread to nine Desa - Bird flu be increasingly cruel attacked Durenan
TRENGGALEK - the Spreading of the bird flu virus or H5N1 really fast. The indication is, in the period three days, nine other villages were stated positive was infected by the virus berkode H5N1 that. Meaning that, until this already ten villages were known terjangkit this deadly virus.
That is; the Malasan Village, Desa Pakis, Desa Panggungsari, Desa Pandean, Desa Sumbergayam, Desa Kamulan, Desa Durenan, Desa Ngadisuko, Desa Kendalrejo, as well as the Semarun Village (all of them entered the Durenan Subdistrict). That was revealed by the official of Trenggalek Livestock Breeding of the Service during was in the Durenan Subdistrict office.
And this, yesterday, assurances in the local media that anyone suspected of `flu burung' would receive treatment free of charge from the government. The concern is that people who might be infected are avoiding going to the hospital because of the costs.
In this article we learn of six `suspect' cases in the local hospital, and that Tamiflu has been distributed to the area.
Free for the Patient hospital Bird Flu provided the room of the isolation
TRENGGALEK hospital- six residents Malasan, Durenan, that was expected suspect bird flu was responded to serious the Kesehatan Trenggalek Service.
Dinkes took the attitude to give away all the maintenance cost and medical treatment. The "resident might not worry." The maintenance cost and medical treatment were borne by the government, said Dr Ubaidillah, the section head the Trenggalek Health to the Queen yesterday. According to Ubaidillah, the liberation of all the maintenance fees and the medical treatment was put into effect for all the community health centre that was spread in Trenggalek.Not only that, the patient who took medicine to RSUD Dr Soedomo Trenggalek also was not adopted the cost. Likewise, if the bird flu patient must to the hospital that has been indicated by reconciliation handled the case of bird flu, RS Saiful Anwar Malang and RSU Dr Soetomo, Surabaya. All the cost was handled by the government.
+<snip>
Continued the man's close words were greeted by Obed, apart from releasing all the forms of funding for the resident who was expected suspect bird flu, his side also distributed thousands of tablets tamiflu that had a function of preventing the virus infection H5N1 in the body. This tablet could be asked directly for all over the community health centre. "We also has given tamiflu." The community immediately could ask for, explained Ubadillah again.
Well, a busy week in Indonesia apparently. But what do we make of it? How significant are these reports?
The reports of poultry die offs, and culling operations, seem consistent with what we have seen in the past, although the pace appears to be increasing. It seems that bird flu in reaching epidemic proportions in poultry in Indonesia.
The human cases are harder to discern. This year alone, the media has reported on over 500 `suspect' cases, of which the Indonesian government only admits to 24 testing positive for H5N1.
Obviously, just being reported as `suspected', or even being placed in isolation, doesn't mean they have the H5N1 virus. But we also know the testing for the virus is notoriously difficult, and no doubt some of these negatives are positives.
The situation in Trenggalek bears watching. What appears to be an aggressive program to distribute Tamiflu is ongoing, although I'm reluctant at this point to call it a `tamiflu blanket'. We need to see if any of the index subjects, now hospitalized, test positive for the virus. After that, we need to see if anyone else in the area is infected.
Right now there appears to be more conjecture than facts in this story.
Rest assured that the newshounds are watching this situation carefully. This may turn out to be nothing more than local hysteria over the culling of their chickens, and an over reaction by authorities or the press. If it should prove otherwise, they will be the first to alert us.
Hopefully, we'll know more in the coming days.
