Indonesians hold major 'drill' for bird flu pandemic
Indonesians hold major drill for bird flu pandemic
BALI, INDONESIA
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:09 a.m.
AP
"Indonesia launched a major bird flu drill Friday [April 25, 2008] that will test the ability of the nation hardest hit by the virus to respond to a possible pandemic. Thousands were taking part, from local residents to government officials.
The three-day simulation started with the isolation of a village on the resort island of Bali, where a field hospital was being set up to treat people with flu-like symptoms. Before the drill ends Sunday, officials will try to prevent 'infected' travelers from leaving the international airport and spreading the virus to other countries.
'This is a very important event from the perspective of public health,' said Subhash Salunke, of the World Health Organization. ---
Indonesia has been worst affected by bird flu since it started ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003, with its 107 human deaths accounting for nearly half the 240 recorded fatalities worldwide. The government has come under fire for failing to slow the spread of the virus, which is now endemic in poultry in all but two of the countries' 33 provinces.
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Indonesia says there are limits to what its cash-strapped government can do.
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scientists worry it could mutate into a form that spreads more easily between humans, with the potential to kill millions worldwide. Indonesia is seen as a potential hotspot for that to happen.
That makes the drill on Bali especially relevant, said Nyoman Kandun, a senior health ministry official. More than 5,000 people were taking part, from government officials and law enforcement officers to doctors and villagers. ---"
BALI, INDONESIA
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:09 a.m.
AP
"Indonesia launched a major bird flu drill Friday [April 25, 2008] that will test the ability of the nation hardest hit by the virus to respond to a possible pandemic. Thousands were taking part, from local residents to government officials.
The three-day simulation started with the isolation of a village on the resort island of Bali, where a field hospital was being set up to treat people with flu-like symptoms. Before the drill ends Sunday, officials will try to prevent 'infected' travelers from leaving the international airport and spreading the virus to other countries.
'This is a very important event from the perspective of public health,' said Subhash Salunke, of the World Health Organization. ---
Indonesia has been worst affected by bird flu since it started ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003, with its 107 human deaths accounting for nearly half the 240 recorded fatalities worldwide. The government has come under fire for failing to slow the spread of the virus, which is now endemic in poultry in all but two of the countries' 33 provinces.
---
Indonesia says there are limits to what its cash-strapped government can do.
---
scientists worry it could mutate into a form that spreads more easily between humans, with the potential to kill millions worldwide. Indonesia is seen as a potential hotspot for that to happen.
That makes the drill on Bali especially relevant, said Nyoman Kandun, a senior health ministry official. More than 5,000 people were taking part, from government officials and law enforcement officers to doctors and villagers. ---"
