Five sick as mayor orders bird cull

Ruslan Sangadji
The Jakarta Post
Central, Sulawesi

The mayor of Palu is appealing to bird owners to cull all poultry in the city to prevent a likely epidemic after five suspected human cases of the virus in the area.

However, Rusdy Mastura said the city did not have enough money to compensate farmers for their birds.

Urging all residents in Palu who own poultry to report to the Bird Flu Epidemic Eradication office, Rusdy called for a mass cull of all birds.

"We have asked poultry farmers to destroy their birds voluntarily. We have also informed them that we don't have the funds to compensate them for all the birds destroyed," said Rusdy.

Rusdy made the appeal Monday after dozens of chickens died rapidly over three consecutive days in Datu Pamusu, West Palu.

Five people suspected of contracting the virus are being treated at Palu's Undata Hospital.

"They have not been positively tested as having bird flu, since their blood samples are still being tested," he said.

Palu Bird Flu Epidemic Eradication Office coordinator Abdul Manaf said Monday the department did not have enough disinfectant to spray the city.

The office had also found it difficult to gather data on the number of citizens who owned poultry and their locations, he said.