11/09 05:35
Some 133 chickens culled for suspected bird flu in Badung, Bali
Badung, Bali (ANTARA News) - Some 133 chickens believed to have caught bird flu or Avian Influenza (AI) were culled at a hamlet in Bali`s Badung district on Tuesday, a local animal husbandry official said.
The 133 chickens at Sibang hamlet, Jagapati village, Badung district, were slaughtered one by one, and then burned, Made Madra, head of Badung district`s animal husbandry, marine and fisheries office said.
"It was done based on preliminary suspicion. We still have to get our suspicion confirmed by a laboratory test of samples of the chickens` blood in Jakarta," he said.
The measure was taken after tens of chickens belonging to Sibang residents died suddenly, he said.
Coinciding with the chickens` death, Putu Pranayoga (19), a son of one of the chicken owners, was suffering from high fever, respiratory problems and influenza.
Putu was put in the care of local paramedics and doctors who had already taken samples of his blood.
In addition to the chicken cull, local animal husbandry officials also sprayed the back-yard chicken farms of Sibang residents with disinfectants.
Earlier this year, a 21-year-old woman from Surabaya, East Java, died of suspected bird flu after showing symptoms of the disease.(*)
wo 11 feb 2009 - 11:02