# 1251
Faced with a growing number of human cases of bird flu in the Riau province of Indonesia, the local governor has issued `instructions' to fight the spread of the virus.
What instructions? You ask.
Well, this story in the Jakarta Post doesn't say.
It just says that it's important to familiarize all residents with these instructions. That way, according to this article, "each province will commit to distribute only healthy poultry to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus."
If the paper actually publishes these new regulations, I'll pass them along.
PEKANBARU, Riau: Riau Governor Rusli Zainal has issued instructions to fight the spread of bird flu in the province.
Head of Riau Animal Husbandry Office, Raja Erisman, said the instructions would provide legal grounds to stop the virus spreading as they regulate poultry farming in residential areas and poultry distribution.
"We will familiarize all Riau residents with the instructions," he told journalists in Pekanbaru on Tuesday.
"Previously it was difficult for officials to act, fearing residents would not cooperate."
He said officials from four provinces -- Riau, Jambi, West Sumatra and North Sumatra -- would meet to decide on poultry distribution.
"We hope each province will commit to distribute only healthy poultry to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus," Erisman said.
Governor Rusli Zainal said he was worried about the spread of the virus, which has killed five of six people in the province who tested positive for bird flu. -- JP
