Available Polivalen Vaccine Effective in Preventing H5N1 Virus

Bogor, W. Java, Jan 14 (ANTARA) - Veterinary expert from Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) Prof I Wayan Teguh Wibawan said the polivalen AI vaccine called "cock-tail" is effective in preventing the spread of a new clade of the avian influenza virus (H5NI). "The available vaccine has been proven effective in preventing the spread of the H5NI virus," he stated at an event for avian influenza experts at Agriculture Major High School IPB in Bogor, West Java, on Monday. The Directorate General of Farming and Veterinary Services has announced that farmers do not need to wait for a new vaccine for their fowls since laboratory tests on the old vaccine have proven its effectiveness in preventing the spread of the disease, he explained. Wibawan pointed out that cooperative efforts between the veterinary department and related stakeholders are in effect to inform the public of these laboratory test results. "The form letter advises everyone to vaccinate fowls across the nation with this old vaccine as soon as possible," he said. For more effective prevention, the vaccination should be administered to 70 percent of the fowls in the area, which means if there are 100 fowls, then 70 of them should be vaccinated, he explained. Wibawan noted that the new clade of the avian influenza virus primarily attacked ducks since vaccinations against the old clade 2.3.2 virus, during its early spread in Indonesia, were mostly used to protect chicken. "We used to assume that ducks are more resistant to the virus than chicken," he said. The Directorate General of Farming and Veterinary Services assumes the new clade virus spreads through the transport of fowls from one place to another. Based on their data, the avian influenza virus that attacks ducks has spread in 60 regions and cities in Indonesia and has caused the death of 513,718 ducks. Therefore, Wibawan, who is also the Chairman of the Veterinary and Agriculture Ministry, has asked the local government to administer the vaccination as soon as possible and to impose tight control over the distribution of fowls, "especially from duck-production centres in regions such as Brebes (Central Java), Jombang (East Java), Trenggalek (East Java), Lampung, Riau, Sulawesi, and Bali," he said.