BADUNG

After a recent spike of bird flu cases amongst poultry in Bali, and a single case of human infection, health officials have called for vigilance from local people.

Last week a 45-year-old woman from Tabanan was hospitalised suffering from bird flu, while officials revealed that there had been 85 recorded cases of the diseases amongst domestic poultry in Bali during February and March.

A large number of cases amongst birds have been recorded on Badung regency, and speaking during a discussion of strategies to tackle the disease, the chairman of the Badung regional assembly’s Commission D, I Gusti Ngurah Shaskara, said the authorities needed to take action to anticipate the possible spread of the disease.

A particular challenge was that it was often difficult to detect the flu amongst birds, as it could be confused with other diseases, Shaskara said, adding that the authorities needed the help of local communities.

“If people find a chicken that has died suddenly they must report it quickly to the relevant agencies,” he said.