Chickens are in high demand these days thanks to opor
ayam -- chicken cooked in thick coconut milk and turmeric --
which is
served in most households during Idul Fitri celebrations. Campaigns warning people of the danger of treating
chickens as members of the family or displaying them in market stalls
to attract shoppers obviously failed.
Those of us who do not share a bed with chickens or have emotional or
physical bonds with the birds can, for the time being, remain calm
because so far humans can only get the virus from close contact with
sick chickens.A cough or sneeze from an infected person in a packed
bus, airplane, elevator or shopping mall could transmit the virus to
dozens, hundreds or thousands of other people.
Back to current reality, in the wake of the bird flu outbreaks in the
capital and elsewhere in the country, officials have used the media to
ask residents not to keep chickens in their yards. The decree also clearly stipulates the city will
restrict the sale of live chickens in markets, thus the city would have
to regulate the poultry industry and slaughterhouses accordingly.
Former governor Sutiyoso may earn praise for initiating the decree, but
he deserves scorn for not ensuring its enforcement.
The decree, issued after three Jakartans were confirmed to have died
from bird flu in December and January, cannot stand alone. No, a whole
host of follow-up measures are needed.
The key to warding off any preventable disease, not only bird flu but
also longtime scourge dengue fever, is to change the behavior of the
public and officials. The unregulated distribution and sale of chickens, and
the numerous traditional markets throughout the capital that provide
vital jobs for thousands of people, will not easily give way to more
ordered and modern facilities.