Indonesia plans to produce bird flu vaccine for new strain

JAKARTA- The Indonesian government plans to produce bird flu vaccine for new strain of the virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of ducks in Java island, a minister said here on Thursday.

People Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Minister Agung Laksono said that he expects the production to kick off in the next two months.

“It needs a new type of vaccine. It has to find the virus first, then the vaccine can be manufactured,” he said at the State Palace.

Previously Director General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health of Agriculture Ministry Mohammad Azhar has said that the ministry plans to produce over 25 million doses of vaccine.

Minister Agung also said that bio-security, isolation and culling, would also be carried out to help prevent the virus from spreading.

The new strain of bird flu which is more virulent has infected ducks in Java island that led to the death of more than 320,000 ducks since November 2012, according to the national poultry association.

The agriculture ministry also plans to give compensation and to boost surveillance over the transport of poultry, according to Azhar.

Source: Xinhuanet

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