Indonesia & the Bird Flu

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a Type A strain of the influenza virus that has affected many birds, and some humans, worldwide. The most severe form of this virus is the H5N1 strain, which has been shown to cause rapid health deterioration in infected humans and animals. Indonesia is one of six nations most affected by recent outbreaks of the virus, with 163 human cases and 135 deaths reported to the World Health Organization as of February 2010.

H5N1

• Chickens with H5N1 often develop recognizable symptoms such as feather loss, lack of egg production, organ failure, and hemmorhaging.

  Although this disease primarily affects birds, several human outbreaks of the virus have occurred in recent history. According to WHO, there were 10 instances of human infection in 1959, and 18 instances of infection when the virus reappeared in Hong Kong in 1997. There have been three major outbreaks of H5N1 human infection since then. As of May, 2010, H5N1 has infected 498 people and caused 294 deaths worldwide.

Appearance in Indonesia

• Closer monitoring of efforts taken by farms to monitor and quarantine H5N1-infected livestock could have helped mitigate the virus' impact.

  The H5N1 strain likely first appeared in Indonesia in 2003 among livestock on commercial poultry farms. It then spread to millions of free-range livestock being raised in backyards around the country before it began to affect people in the summer of 2005. Many in the international community criticized the government, saying the outbreak could have been less severe if officials had acknowledged the problem sooner.

Strength of Virus

• Indonesia and many other developing nations argue against the way that vaccines are regulated by international organizations.

  The apparent virility of the Indonesian strain of the H5N1 virus makes it unique. The number of Indonesians who have died from the virus as of February 2010 is the highest in the world. The WHO has offered to pay Indonesia for sample strains of the H5N1 virus so it can help develop a global vaccine. As of June 2010, the country still refuses to hand over any samples of the virus to the WHO or any other international organization. The government fears it will not receive proper financial reimbursement if a vaccine is created. The government claims that the current global vaccine-sharing system is unfair, with poor countries benefitting little.

Spread of Virus

• As of May 2010, all of Indonesia's 33 provinces, except for North Maluku and Gorontalo, have been affected by H5N1. With the first outbreaks in 2003, the virus spread across Java into Bali, Sumatra and Kalimantan. With the second round of outbreaks in 2006, the virus spread into Papua and Sulawesi. Currently, the areas of the country most affected by the virus are Java, Bali, Sumatra, and southern Sulawesi. However, outbreaks do occur elsewhere in the country from time to time.

Obstacles

• Indonesia's lack of financial resources makes it difficult to fight H5N1. The veterinarian industry is underfunded, making it hard to treat the country's poultry population with H5N1 vaccines. Lack of funds make it hard to better organize and control the country's procedures for quarantining infected individuals and for educating people about preventative and emergency measures.