Press Conference : Director General of Livestock

PRESS CONFERENCE
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF LIVESTOCK
Swine Influenza and Possible Spread to Indonesia
Jakarta, 28 April 2009

BACK GROUND

1. Swine Influenza (swine flu, hog flu, pig flu) is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by influenza type A viruses. Current subtypes are H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. Among the four subtypes, H1N1 is the one most isolated.
2. Swine influenza viruses are transmitted through direct contact, droplet contaminated materials (through sneezes and coughs), air, and introduction of infected animals into a non-infected population.

SWINE INFLUENZA DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD

3. Information from the World Health Organization (WHO) on 26 April 2009 states that from March to April 2009, the swine influenza outbreak in Mexico has killed 81 people by causing severe pneumonia from around 1,300 cases.
4. Swine influenza virus infection in humans in Mexico and the United States of America is unique because genetically it is a combination of swine, avian, and human viruses.

SWINE INFLUENZA STATUS IN INDONESIA

5. So far, no case of H1N1 swine influenza has been reported in Indonesia. Before avian influenza outbreak in 2003, Balitvet (Veterinary Research Institute) had tested pig serum from many pig production centers in Indonesia using AGP (Agar Gel Precipitation) test and all were negative for influenza type A.
6. Technically, several laboratories in Indonesia are capable of diagnosing Swine Influenza (H1N1) because all equipments needed to conduct serologic and molecular diagnosis of the disease is available.

ANTICIPATIVE MEASURES FOR POSSIBLE SWINE INFLUENZA SPREAD IN INDONESIA

7. Director General of Livestock has issued encyclicals to Heads of all Provincial Service Offices to conduct their function in animal health and livestock service in Indonesia related to early detection of possible swine influenza introduction.
8. The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a Decree in response encyclicals issued by the Minister of Trade on temporary ban of pork and pork product import.
9. The Ministry of Agriculture, in this case the Directorate General of Livestock and the Agriculture Quarantine Agency in collaboration with regional governments are monitoring pig traffic/transportation across regions/islands through animal health certificates, increasing biosecurity in pig farms and socializing the hazards of swine influenza.
10. National and Regional Veterinary Laboratories under the Ministry of Agriculture are to conduct surveillance in pig production centers and test serum samples for swine influenza (H1N1).
11. If swine influenza is found in a pig farm then the regional government should take necessary measures prioritized to break the chain of further transmission to other animals and humans.
12. All anticipative measures above will be carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The ministry is also advising the public to stay alert, don’t panic, and keep up to date on information about this disease.

Director General of Livestock
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE