Political heavyweights talk bird flu

Bird flu will be high on the agenda when US President George W Bush talks with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later this month.

Indonesian Presidential spokesperson Dino Pati Djalal said that President Bush will arrive in Bogor, a town on the outskirts of Jakarta, after his visit to Hanoi and Singapore.

Avian influenza is reportedly an issue of concern for the Indonesian President, who is worried about the number of victims of the disease in Indonesia.

Fifty-five out of 72 contracted people have died of bird flu in Indonesia, according to the cumulative tally provided by the World Health Organisation.

The United States promised to assist Indonesia with tens of millions of dollars to help prevent avian influenza from spreading in the vast archipelago country, where bird flu has been discovered in 30 of 33 provinces. But Indonesia says the pledge has not yet been realised.

International experts are concerned that the disease continues to be found in Indonesia. One such commentator is United Nations bird flu expert Dr David Nabarro, who recently said AI could be a problem for the next decade.

In the wake of recent deaths from the disease, Indonesia has defended its bird-flu fighting efforts.

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Editor WorldPoultry