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Minister of Health Confirms Public Not Anxious About Bird Flu
Saturday, 23 July, 2005 | 02:39 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Solo, Central Java:Indonesian Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari has denied that members of the public are anxious following the deaths of three people due to the bird flu virus.

Supari said that she herself has visited villages and seen no worries within the public.

However, she did acknowledge that consumption of chicken has decreased because the public did not want to take any risks.

“We have to promote that eating chicken is not dangerous. As long as they are cooked properly there will be no problem,” Supari said in Solo on Friday (22/07).

According to the Health Minister, the bird flu virus cannot spread from human to human.

Up to now, it is still not known where the virus that killed three members of one family originated.

However, Supari confirmed that the virus was the same as the one encountered in 2001 and 2003. (Imron Rosyid-Tempo News Room)