(7/25/2005)
Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ir. Anton Apriantono, called on Bali's Governor, Made Beratha, to anticipate the risk of Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza, by tightening controls on the importation of birds and other animals to the island.
The Minister's comments, made during a visit to Bali on July 19, 2005, follow on the heels of 3 confirmed deaths in Tangerang, on Jakarta’s outskirts, attrributed to Avian Influenza.
Reminding the Balinese that bird flu can be transmitted from poultry to pigs, the Minister said, "I know that many people raise pigs in Bali, often in areas close to dwellings and areas used for raising poultry." In comments quoted in the Indonesian-language Bali Post, the Minister suggested that private dwellings, poultry producing areas and pig sties should be well separated form each other to prevent the spread of the disease.
In response to the potential threat of Bird Flu, areas in West Java where the disease has been confirmed are undertaking the culling or inoculation of poultry and swine populations that may have been exposed to the disease.
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