WP,pg1: Indonesia Ignored Bird Flu Until Too Late, Experts Say

[DeepModem Mom]

Indonesia Ignored Bird Flu Until Too Late, Experts Say
By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, October 20, 2005; Page A01


JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 19 -- Indonesian officials covered up and then neglected a spreading bird flu epidemic for two years until it began to sicken humans this summer, posing a grave threat to people well beyond the country's borders, according to Indonesian and international health experts.

Unlike Southeast Asian countries that began to see human cases almost as soon as avian influenza was identified in their poultry, Indonesia had a generous head start to prevent an outbreak among people. But since July, it has registered more human cases than any other country, including three deaths confirmed by international testing. Influenza specialists agree that the actual number of human cases is higher and expect it to rise with the approach of the rainy season.

Health experts say the Indonesian epidemic started in commercial poultry farms, spread among the tens of millions of free-range chickens raised in back yards across the country and then finally infected people. At each step, the Indonesian government failed to take measures that could have broken the chain, while discouraging research into the outbreak.

As a result, specialists are concerned that the cases in Indonesia pose a worldwide threat if the bird flu virus changes and becomes contagious among humans.

"If the government had acted sooner to stamp it out, there would be no outbreak. They have wasted so much time," said Chairul A. Nidom, an Indonesian microbiologist who first identified the virus in this country's birds. "What terrifies me is that it just won't affect Indonesia."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/19/AR2005101902147.html

[insane_cratic_gal]

1. So this is how it all came to be

this is the history of Bird flu and how it progressed.

Sad when farmers and government officials are more concerned about the negative impact of financial burden them the potential loss of 1.5 to 5 million lives.

[FormerRepublican]

2. Sounds like Bush.

I guess they've been talking ... :sarcasm:

[shraby]

3. Indonesia did the same thing last year.

Kept saying they had no bird flu.

[oscarmitre]

4. They have a huge poultry industry

and I bet that there are powerful politicians who have interests in it. As for our (Australian) government, they're complicit, they deny that Indonesia can do any wrong.