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Indonesia in Third Stage Towards Bird Flu Pandemic
Tuesday, 27 September, 2005 | 12:11 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:A high-alert status has been imposed in Southeast Asian countries in relation to the bird flu virus pandemic.

This is because the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded a total of 115 cases of bird flu virus that has infected humans.

“Fifty-nine of those infected were killed,” said Indonesian Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday (26/09).

Supari said that between December 2003 and March 2004, there were 35 cases in which 24 people died.

The 35 cases occurred in Vietnam and Thailand.

Between July and October last year, the Health Minister continued, there were still bird flu virus cases in Vietnam and Thailand but the amount dropped to only 9 cases.

However, out of the 9 people infected, 8 died.

Up to the end of last year, 3 bird flu virus cases also occurred in Indonesia and to date, the government has recorded a total of 10 cases.

The WHO has only acknowledged that 3 virus samples have been sent to the referred laboratory at the University of Hong Kong.

In facing the flu pandemic, according to Supari, the government is preparing a seven- measure plan.

First, the strategy of handling the pandemic in animals and fowls, and the prevention of new infections in animals and fowls.

This measure will be coordinated between the agricultural department, the forestry department and the environmental department.

Second, the strategy in protecting high-risk groups with bio-security systems.

Three, the monitoring strategy.

Four, communication, information and education strategy.

These measures are to be carried out by the health and agricultural departments together with related institutions.

Five, through case management strategies and infection control at health facilities.

Six, an increase in study/health research.

Seven, declaring the status of the bird flu virus as a National Extraordinary Incident.

Supari also said that there were six stages towards a bird flu pandemic.

First, the bird flu virus in animals does not yet infect humans.

Second, the bird flu virus in animals has high risk towards humans.

Three, the bird flu virus is infectious from animals to humans but there was yet to be effective contamination between humans.

“Indonesia is in this stage now,” said Supari.

Four, an infectious virus among humans in a small group of people.

Five, the virus infecting humans in larger groups or the epidemic stage.

Six, the pandemic stage or infectious virus between humans on a larger scale or in several countries.

“The distance between epidemic and pandemic is only three months,” Supari stated.

If this in fact happened, the Health Minister continued, the pandemic would be the fourth pandemic.

“It is estimated that the number of victims will be 7 million people,” stated Supari.

The first pandemic was the H1N1 bird flu virus infection in Spain in 1918-1919, which claimed the lives of 40 million people.

The second pandemic was the H2N2 bird flu virus in Asia in 1957-1958, which claimed the lives of between 1 million and 4 million people.

The third pandemic was the H3N2 bird flu virus in Hong Kong in 1968-1969, which claimed the lives of 1 million people. (Ami Afriatni-Tempo News Room)