Bird flu still has the potential to become pandemic

Published On: July 21, 2011
JAKARTA: Avian influenza (bird flu) is still one of the threats to the pandemic in the world, especially if the mutation occurs later, and new strains arise which can be transmitted between humans. Incident reports of avian influenza in poultry, continues to exist in Indonesia. The latter case is encountered in Sidrap, South Sulawesi, and also in several other areas.
"The incidence of bird flu in humans in our country is already declining sharply. Throughout 2011 until this July there are 7 cases in humans, "said Tjandra Yoga Aditama, Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health, via email, today
Tjandra said that cases of AI in poultry in Indonesia was first discovered in 2003 in the District. Pekalongan, Central Java, and Kab. Tangerang, Banten.
Furthermore, the first case of AI in humans in Indonesia are found in June 2005 on a father and son in Serpong - Tangerang Banten. From then until July 2011, there have been 178 cases of AI in Indonesia, scattered in 13 provinces.
The government, he said, continue to roll out a campaign to anticipate, be alert and make preparations for the possibility of a pandemic.
Tjandra yesterday opened a new model of harmonization of the activities of advocacy meetings epidemiologic and virologic surveillance of influenza (H5N1 and other influenza sentinel based in Jakarta.
In addition to vigilance against the pandemic, he said, to note the importance of health promotion activities to the community, conduct epidemiological surveillance to determine disease trends and tendencies, and actions to be done.
"You should also involve and utilize all existing systems, and then harmonizing together. Do not always need to establish a new system again throughout harmonization can run either, "he said.
Avian influenza is a zoonotic disease, transmitted from animals (in this case birds) to humans. "That means close cooperation between health officials and farm officials, is one of the key handling," he said. (MMH)