The deadly virus had also infected tens of chickens in four villages of Kota Jambi subdistrict and had spread to Pijoan village, Jambi Luar Kota subdistrict, locals said on Tuesday.
In response to the local residents` reports, Head of Muarojambi district`s veterinarian office Paruhuman Lubis said he had been aware of those dead chickens but it was not yet clear whether they were infected by the bird flu virus or other diseases.
"We have checked that there are chickens that suddenly die but we don`t know yet whether they are infected by the (bird flu) virus or not," he said.
The samples of those dead chickens would immediately be examined in a laboratory to enable his men to know the real causes of the chickens` deaths," he said.
If the laboratory tests had verified that the bird flu virus was behind the chickens` deaths, the related authorities would conduct disinfectant sprays for the people`s chicken cages, while the dead chickens were burned, he said.
However, the Muarojambi district`s veterinarians could not conduct the disinfectant sprays alone. Instead, they should be assisted by members of the provincial government`s team, he said.
Indonesia has 33 provinces. Only three have been confirmed free from the bird flu threat.
Indonesia has been plagued by bird flu since 2005. However, the H5N1 type influenza is also known to have attacked chickens and birds in other Asian countries, such as Thailand, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), avian influenza or "bird flu" is a contagious disease among animals caused by a virus that normally infects only birds and, less commonly, pigs.
WHO has warned that avian influenza can spread very rapidly in a poultry or fowl population.
Over the past three weeks of January 2011, bird flu has also infected chickens in Mugirejo village, Sungai Pinang subdistrict, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.
A bird flu outbreak had also spread in Kerinci district, Jambi province, recently.
According to a veterinarian in West Java, the bird flu virus attacking Indonesia was classified as "highly pathogenic avian influenza" (HPAI).(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
