JAKARTA: The Indonesian government would take measures to prevent the spread of the new strain of avian influenza virus, which is more virulent, China’s Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The step was taken following the finding of the new clad of H5N1 virus after the death of over 320,000 ducks in some provinces in Java island which was reported since November.
Indonesian Trade Ministry would conduct tighten control over distribution of poultry to outside of Java island, said Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthy.
“We are cautious about the movement of poultry in Java. We must watch closely the movement of chickens and ducks (from Java island). We must control it,” he said.
Bayu asked the quarantine agency to control and supervise the distribution of the poultry from Java island to outside of the islands.
“We must made a quarantine for the poultry,” he said.
Indonesia is an archipelago country with some 17,500 islands, where Java island is one of the five main islands.
Indonesia has been investigating the origin of the new clad, which is very different from the clad of H5N1 virus found in recent years. — Bernama