Saturday, February 4, 2012

Indonesia: Update of Sulawesi Outbreak in Poultry #H5N1 #Birdflu

In my Indonesia Commentary of January 24th, located here, I mentioned that the poultry were dying with no symptoms...
excerpt:
Hundreds of chickens owned by residents of Environmental Makammu 2, Village Bulukunyi, District of South Polongbangkeng, in an instant died suddenly, Friday, January 20.

The incident shocked the owner of the chicken. Worried about bird flu, chickens that died immediately annihilated by dumped and buried. Residents later reported the incident to the related department.

"There is no previous symptoms. But before dying chickens bowed his head bowed. After five minutes later, the chicken is dead," said one resident, Dg Nuntung. Until yesterday afternoon, his ten chickens died.
Neighbors Nuntung Dg, also experienced the same event. Fourteen of his chickens, died suddenly.
"One chicken bangkok kasian I die, too. Now live chicks remaining," said Dg Nanring.
The Department of Agriculature & Forestry came in and denounced it...

"The chickens are infected with virus positive ND (newcastle disease), not the bird flu. ND virus is not contagious to humans, but its spread to other chicken fast enough," explains Head of Livestock Department of Agriculture and Forestry Takalar Ghani Muhammad Ridwan.
Thankfully, there was more in-depth research into the diagnosis:
To obtain more complete results, it also brought some samples to be tested in depth in the laboratory.
So, today, we have the announcement that it IS Bird flu, H5N1.

Hundreds of Chicken Dead Bird Flu Positive
Saturday, 04 February 2012
Takalar - Hundreds of chickens that died suddenly in Environmental Makammu, Village Bulukunyi, District of South Polongbangkeng (Polsel), District Takalar, two weeks ago, tested positive for H5N1 virus or the flu from birds.


Certainty is known after the Department of Agriculture and Forestry Takalar receive veterinary laboratory results indicate that chickens died suddenly due to bird flu. Head of Livestock Takalar Muhammad Ridwan said, after receiving the results of laboratory tests, it immediately appealed to the whole community, especially in the village and surrounding Bulukunyi, alert transmission.

"We call upon the public alert and you should avoid direct contact with poultry. If it was already in direct contact, immediately wash up before doing any other activity, "he told reporters in Takalar yesterday. For prevention, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry has been spraying disinfectant into the environment with the virus and the surroundings.


Why is this so important? It is important because that is where the 6 Suspected cases of H5N1 Birdflu were from. 3 Family members died, 3 others were hospitalized, and 14 were reported in Intensive Care....it is all in my Commentary, and can be read by clicking the link provided. You can also get it by going to the right side-bar.

I have changed my map. Now we have confirmed poultry North and South of that outbreak.
I wonder if we will ever hear about the human outbreak again?

1 comment:

Duff Smith said...

To give the follow-up story on the human cases is very important because otherwise subsequent victims of the virus may forego reporting their illnesses if the last people to do so are never heard of again.
I can see where a country like this does not want to be tagged as a point of origin of a new disease that goes on to become very serious in the world. Meanwhile, for all anyone knows the problem may have even been imported from another nearby country that is even more tight-lipped than they are -- hint.
I have a brother who lives in Coxsackie, NY which holds the dubious honor of having a serious virus named after it. Because the virus was first identified there through medical diligence, not because the disease was really born there. The virus probably originated in the nearby Catskill Mountains.
Ultimately there may be nothing anyone can do to stop one of these cluster cases from escalating to the sum of all fears, and I don't want to be remembered as having said something unnecessary like I did before, having never been in charge of so much as a taco stand myself.