Season Change, Not All Dead Birds mean AI

Jakarta, Kompas - Season change often stresses poultry in sector four or backyard farms. Stress makes the birds vulnerable to disease. In these conditions, we should not hastily conclude that all dead birds are due to avian influenza (AI) viruses. “Newcastle disease [also known as Tetelo in Indonesia] is endemic here, therefore often birds die because of tetelo, not avian influenza,” said ad interim Animal Health Director whom is also Director of Veterinary Public Health from the Directorate General of Livestock, Turni Rusli, on Monday (23/2) in Jakarta. This statement was made in response to many publications on poultry death which were identified with avian influenza. “Birds that die because of Newcastle disease have similar symptoms to avian influenza,” he said.

According to Turni, one characteristic of avian influenza is that it’s very infectious and it doesn’t have to wait until the changing of seasons. “Don’t conclude it to be anything before the diagnosis is confirmed through laboratory testing,” he said.
So far, he said, the government has established a reporting system network for sick or dead birds. If a person’s bird suddenly died or if birds within a neighborhood exhibit signs consistent to avian influenza, citizens are required to report to the local government office.
Then the Participatory Disease Surveillance and Response officers will come over and collect samples. Results will be known in a day. Further measures will be conducted according to standards.
“We always keep record because the situation continues to change,” said Turni. Currently tetelo virus is everywhere.
73 birds died
As much as 73 birds had suddenly died in RT 10 and 20, RW 2, Kresek village, Wungu subdistrict, Madiun district, East Java, for the last five days because of H5N1 avian influenza. This was the fourth time in Madiun this year.
Citizens had reported to a member of the local house or representative of Madiun district, Subari, whom then reported it to the Livestock Service Office of Madiun district. On Monday afternoon, veterinary paramedic from the Livestock Service Office, Tariono, went over to the case site and tested the dead birds using a rapid test. “The tests resulted positive for H5N1,” said Tariono. He then rallied people to burn the dead birds and bury them.
Today the local Livestock Service Office will disinfect poultry cages within a 200 meter radius from the location of the dead birds.
Previous cases occurred in Wungu village in Wungu subdistrict, Buduran village in Wonoasri subdistrict, and Pandean village in Mejayan subdistrict. The total of poultry death suffered was approximately 150 birds. The highest mortality due to H5N1 had occurred in 2007, killing 13,000 birds. Re-emerging of this virus was caused by the habit of small scale poultry farmers that let their chickens roam free outside of their cages, rarely clean the poultry cages, and do not routinely vaccinate the birds against AI, while all they had to do was ask for it from the local government office where it is a free service.
East Java
Reports of poultry death were also received by the Livestock, Fishery, and Marine Service Office of Jember district. According to Head of the office, Dalhar, the birds tested had resulted negative for AI.
Dr Lilik L from the Health Office of Jember added, “Members of the Indonesian Red Cross - Disaster Alert team (PMI Siaga Bencana) had conducted early detection. Avian Influenza is categorized as a disaster.” Similar cases had also occurred in Banyuwangi.
Head of the Animal Health Division of the Livestock Service Office of Banyuwangi, Satrio Aribowo, said that many chickens there had suddenly died. Banyuwangi is considered the worse of all other districts/municipality in East Java. (MAS/APA/SIR)
Source : Kompas [edited]