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Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Pandemic would be worse than tsunami
A bird flu pandemic is Indonesia's worst nightmare and would wreak greater devastation than last year's tsunami, according to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Dr Yudhoyono told a World Bank forum in Helsinki via teleconference that the spread of the disease among humans would be physically and economically devastating.
"The pandemic will be worse than the tsunami disaster, which killed hundreds of thousands of people but stopped after a few minutes," Dr Yudhoyono said.
His remarks follow criticism that Indonesia had been failing to take appropriate precautions against the virus.
Around the world, countries needed to upgrade their preventive measures, Dr Yudhoyono said.
The European Union looks set to ban the import of live wild birds as it tries to stem the advance of bird flu.
Britain called for a ban after flu killed a parrot imported from South America which had been quarantined with birds from Taiwan.
In Tambov, 400 kilometres south-east of Moscow, an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed, an official said. And officials have sealed a ship in Malta after wharf workers reported seeing dead birds on board.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (subscription) - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
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