 
  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/506 
29 June 2004 
 (04-2788) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
REPORT OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN INDONESIA 
 
Statement by Indonesia at the meeting of 22-23 June 2004
 
 
 
1. Deaths of poultry had been reported in layer, broiler and native chicken in some areas in 
Central Java and East Java since September 2003.  The Government of Indonesia officially declared 
in January 2004 that deaths of poultry were caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) with 
H5N1 subtype.  Although it is well understood that H5N1 subtype is pathogenic to poultry and could 
affect humans if the virus were to mutate, based  on surveillance to farmers and farm workers, no 
human case has been reported by Department of H ealth of Indonesia up to the present.  However, 
preventative measures are being continuously implemented. 
2. Since January, Indonesia has taken the measures re quired in order to prevent further spread of 
the disease.  As an effort to speed up the implemen tation of control of the disease, the government has 
issued and distributed Guidelines for Prevention, Cont rol, and Eradication of Avian Influenza.  These 
describe the strategy of disease control and er adication as well as operational measures involving 
improvement of bio-security;  depopulation of affected poultry in infected areas;  stamping out in new infected provinces;  vaccination of healthy poultry in  infected areas;  movement control of poultry, 
poultry products and farm waste;  surveillance and tracing back;  restocking;  public awareness as 
well as monitoring and evaluation. 
3. To control and eradicate the disease, Indonesia selected the strategy of vaccination and 
depopulation (selective culling).  This is because the outbreak has been widely spread into several 
provinces;  65-70 per cent of the poultry industry is located on Java island (including GP breeders and 
feed mills);  and the structure of the poultry indus try is such that small farms of native chicken and 
other indigenous poultry are scattered around the commercial poultry farms.  Depopulation is done to 
all infected farms through elimination of healthy poultry in contact with infected poultry.  The 
strategy of vaccination a nd depopulation is in line with the recommendations of the FAO, OIE and 
WHO issued in February 2004 in Rome.  The re commendations also stated that targeted mass 
vaccination campaigns should be implemented within short period (six months), and an emergency 
situation declared in order to control the spread of the disease. 
4. The Government of Indonesia is planning to conduct mass vaccination in early July 2004 for 
backyard farms and smallholder farmers.  Mean while, the vaccination conducted previously has 
covered approximately 21.4 million heads of poultry. 
 
__________ 
 