0 Bali on alert over possible avian flu threat

Despite the fact that no new avian flu virus has been detected in Bali, experts are calling upon people to remain alert. Masa Tenaya, a senior researcher at the Bali Veterinary Research Center in Denpasar, confirmed that the deaths of thousands of poultry in Jembrana last weekend were caused by a seasonal poultry disease called Newcastle disease (ND). “Researchers have not yet found any signs of a new avian flu virus, which spread widely in Java, causing the deaths of thousands of ducks,” said Tenaya. 

Newcastle disease is reportedly a contagious bird disease affecting many domestic and wild avian species and it is transmissible to humans. It is caused by the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) — so called because it was first found in Newcastle in the United Kingdom. Its effects are notable in domestic poultry due to their low immunity. The exposure of humans to infected birds can cause mild conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms, but the NDV poses no serious threat to humans. 

Researchers at the center said that the infected poultry had low antibodies and were easily exposed to NDV. “We have conducted avian flu rapid tests on the poultry with negative results,” Tenaya said. In Bali, any avian flu outbreak was said to be under control. Cases of avian flu in Bali have been decreasing because of effective preventive measures. I Ketut Suarjaya, head of the Bali Health Office, said that there had been no other suspect cases of avian flu since the most recent one in last April. 

Since its first outbreak in Bali in 2005, bird flu has claimed the lives of six people, including four young children. “A number of prevention and monitoring programs of animal-based diseases [zoonosis] such as rabies and bird flu have been implemented to curb outbreaks on the island,” Suarjaya said. A mass vaccination program has been one of the preventive measures taken to eliminate rabies and avian flu from Bali. Putu Sumantra, head of the province’s animal husbandry office, strongly urged people to abide by strict regulations not to receive poultry from outside Bali. 

“The inter-provincial and inter-island movement of poultry and animals, which spread zoonotic diseases such as rabies, is strictly forbidden to avoid any possible entrance of dangerous viruses,” Sumantra said. Sumantra admitted that it was quite difficult for the government to fully monitor the illegal movement of birds, chickens or ducks into Bali. “We have been checking the health conditions of poultry sold at traditional markets here,” he said. The movement of poultry into Bali might still be taking place due to the limited number of monitoring staff. The Health and Agriculture Ministries are currently carrying out a series of tests to detect the existence of a new mutated H5N1 virus, which causes avian flu.

source : bali daily