Bird Flu Center

Indonesia’s latest bird flu victims have drawn attention once again on the highly populated Asian country. Although mainland countries in the region, such as China and Vietnam, have more or less successfully tackled the problem, the archipelago based country seems incapable of containing the massive outbreak of avian influenza that has been sweeping across the country. The death toll has recently reached 44, the highest in the world. However, Indonesian authorities claim they are doing their best to stop the spread of the disease. However, a population of 220 million, distributed on roughly 18,000 islands, makes it difficult to implement an efficient system to combat the avian influenza epidemic. One thing that international experts warn on is the fact that the issue is still primarily an avian one. Human victims are provoked by a rapid spread of the virus among its natural host - poultry. And inefficient prevention measures among fowl will fail to contain the virus among humans. Despite extensive campaigns in the media and even door-to-door visits in some parts of the country, many of the islands’ inhabitants remain indifferent to the danger of coming into contact and handling diseased or dead birds. Cultural differences in the country also makes it difficult for a central, coordinated effort to take place.