After The Infectious Incident To Unggas, The Ministry Of Health Is Alert To Bird Flu To Manize

Illustration of body temperature detectors to anticipate the entry of the monkeypox virus at Juanda Airport Surabaya in Sidoarjo, East Java. (Between-Umarul F)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is wary of the potential for New Crade Bird Flu 2.3.4.4b infecting humans after the discovery of a case that attacked poultry on a farm in South Kalimantan (Kalsel).

"Currently, there have been no reports of transmission to humans, but we still have to be vigilant," said the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, Monday, February 27, as reported by Antara.

Although the risk of infection in humans is still relatively low, said Maxi, the government has increased early vigilance, given that the mutation of the zoonotic virus is fast and takes place consistently in mammals.

He said the Ministry of Health had issued a Circular Letter of the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) Number PV.03.01/C/824/2023 regarding the Vigilance of the Extraordinary Oil Flu (H5N1) New Crade 2.3.4.4b which was set on February 24, 2023.

The circular asks provincial health offices, regencies/cities, and heads of Port Health Offices (KKP) throughout Indonesia to coordinate and cooperate with agencies in charge of animal health functions and other related sectors in efforts to prevent and control bird flu in humans.

Local governments are also asked to prepare health facilities for the implementation of bird flu suspected cases in accordance with the established guidelines. As well as increasing the capacity of the public health lab for examination of samples from cases with suspected symptoms of bird flu.

"Obviously, surveillance activities and the Rapid Movement Team (TGC), especially in detecting epidemiological signals in the field, also need to be improved," he said.

For areas that are the sensitivity of surveillance influenza like infinity (ILI) and the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) to increase early vigilance for the discovery of suspected cases of Bird Flu in areas where the Avian Influenza outbreak occurred in poultry.

Every time a bird flu suspect is found, the Puskesmas immediately reports in less than 24 hours to the district/city health office through the Incident-Based Surveillance and Early Awareness System and Response (SKDR) system.

The Provincial and Regency/City Health Offices immediately reported in less than 24 hours to the PHEOC of the Directorate General of P2P. Coordinate with agencies in charge of the local animal health function.

As a form of vigilance at the entrance to the country, Director General Maxi also instructed the KKP to increase supervision of domestic and foreign travelers at ports, airports and national cross-border posts.

"Conducting examinations and handling of cases if travel behavior is found that has ILI symptoms in accordance with applicable guidelines. Conducting socialization and coordination with all cross-sectors in the working area of the KKP," he said.

To the public, Director General Maxi also appealed to the public to always carry out Clean and Healthy Lifestyle (PHBS), reporting to the farm office if there were sudden and in large numbers of poultry deaths in their environment, immediately go to health facilities if you experience symptoms of bird flu and there is a history of contact with risk factors.

Head of the Communication and Public Service Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, added that mitigating the transmission of the New Crade Bird Flu in Indonesia is prioritized for areas related to poultry and wildlife.

"The mitigation focus is on the location of poultry farming or wildlife conservation areas that need strict supervision of the possibility of transmitting bird flu to humans," he said.

He said the Ministry of Health had coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) to deal with the Bird Flu.

The Ministry of Agriculture has identified positive for the H5N1 virus clade 2.3.4.4b through PCR and sequencing tests on commercial farms for unvaccinated peking ducks in South Kalimantan.

"We have coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to anticipate this situation by holding a coordination meeting on February 15, 2023 to respond to the SE Director General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health Number 16183 of 2023 concerning Increased Vigilance of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza subtype H5N1 Cade 2.3.4.4b," he said.