Indonesia Moves to Stop Spread of Bird Flu Virus

Indonesia has taken immediate action to try tofrom the virus in four Asian countries since late
contain an outbreak of the bird flu virus that has2003 became infected after close contact with
killed four people in the nation's capital since July.birds.
International health experts have begun arriving inThe WHO's Indonesia representative, Georg
Indonesia to help with the growing problem.Petersen, says with 12 million people in Jakarta
The Indonesian health minister warns the recentliving near infected birds more people could catch
outbreak of bird flu could easily turn into anthe virus.
epidemic as agricultural officials announced plans"The virus is basically circulating in the bird
for a massive cull of poultry in infected areas.population and we have a situation with very high
Health experts are concerned because theypopulation density too in the same areas, so the
cannot identify the source of the H5N1 virus thatchances are more infections in humans is slowly
has caused at least four deaths in recent weeks.growing," he said.
World Health Organization spokesman Bob DietzWHO spokesman Mr. Dietz also says
says there is concern the virus could spreadhuman-to-human transmission may have already
among humans.occurred, but in a limited way.
"The threat, the very, very, very grave threat is"This might have happened. But we have always
that sooner or later it will evolve into that sort ofbeen reluctant to say categorically this has indeed
virus that can be exchanged between humanhappened. What might be happening is inefficient
beings. That means it could tear through the globaltransmission of the virus between human beings
population very quickly," he said.in some very specialized, localized situations," he
Six suspected cases of bird flu remain undersaid.
observation in a Jakarta hospital, while a seventh,Health experts from Australia, the United States
a five-year-old child, died Wednesday.and Canada have begun to arrive in Indonesia to
Most of the at least 60 people who have diedassess the situation.