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Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts

Sumatra on alert as bird flu comes back

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Antara News, Fardah, Sat, April 2 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The sudden death of thousands of chickens has been reported in several cities on Sumatra Island over the past several months.

Local health authorities have confirmed that most of the chickens had died of bird flu or avian influenza (H5N1).

The poultry deaths due to bird flu have occurred among other things in the Sumatran provinces of West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi and Bangka Belitung.

In Padang, West Sumatra, the M Jamil General Hospital had treated a total of 27 patients suspected of being infected with the bird flu virus since January 2011.

Padang is the worst-affected city in West Sumatra, as 24 of the total 27 patients are residents of the city, according to Gustavianof, a spokesman of the M Jamil Public Hospital.

"While patients from outside Padang, include one from Bukittinggi, one from Pesisir Selatan District, and another from Dharmasraya," he said in Padang, Thursday (March 31).

Up to Thursday, two patients were still undergoing intensive treatment at the hospital.

The hospital has taken blood samples from the two patients and sent them to the laboratory of the Jakarta-based health ministry`s Health Development and Research Agency (Balitbangkes), to confirm whether they are negative or positive of bird flu virus infection.

In 2009, the M Jamil Public hospital had treated nine bird flu suspect cases, and seven cases in 2010, including one patient that had died while being treated in the hospital.

A total of 1,866 chickens were dead in Payakumbuh city, West Sumatra Province recently.

West Sumatra has prepared two hospitals, including M Jamil Public Hospital, to give free-of-charge medical treatment to patients suspected of having been infected by the H5N1 virus.

As H5N1 virus cases have been reported in many regions in Bengkulu Province, also on Sumatra Island, the province has declared that the province is on alert of bird flu.

"Although the number of bird flu cases does not increase, Bengkulu is still cautious of bird flu, and we ask the local residents to monitor their poultry," Emran Kuswadi, Coordinator of Local Disease Control Center (LDCC), said in Bengkulu, last Tuesday (29/3).

Up to now, a total of 1,881 chickens had been killed by the bird flu virus in Bengkulu, according to Emran.

Seven districts - Bengkulu, Seluma, Lebong, Bengkulu Tengah, Kepahiang, Kaur and Rejang Lebong - have been particularly declared bird flu alert.

The worst bird flu-affected district is Seluma where 1,175 chickens died of the H5N1 virus at two sub districts, he said.

In Jambi, bird flu has reportedly killed several hundred chickens in Kerinci District, Jambi Kota, and Jambi Luar Kota neighborhoods.

The virus has infected a number of chickens in four villages of Kota Jambi subdistrict and had spread to Pijoan village, Jambi Luar Kota subdistrict.

Head of Muarojambi district`s veterinarian office Paruhuman Lubis said, "We have checked that there are chickens that suddenly died but we cannot confirm yet whether they are infected by the (bird flu) virus or not."

In Bangka Belitung (Babel) Province, at least 484 chickens had died during January and February 2011. Junaidy of the local animal husbandry office, confirmed in Pangkalpinang, that they had been infected with bird flu virus.

Despite the reports of bird flu breakout in some parts of Sumatra, there are no reports of confirmed cases of human infection with bird flu virus or fatalities on the island this year.

In fact, the health ministry recently announced a confirmed case of human infection with bird flu virus on Java Island.

The case concerned a 28 year old female from Gunung Kidul district, Yogyakarta Province. She developed symptoms on 1 March, was admitted to a health care facility on 6 March and referred to a hospital on 11 March. She died on 14 March, according to the Avian Influenza Update on the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Indonesia has been infected by bird flu since 2005, but the situation has been relatively under control over the past few years.

Of the total 176 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 145 have been fatal, according to WHO.

According to the WHO fact sheet, Avian influenza (AI), commonly called bird flu, is an infectious viral disease of birds. Outbreaks of AI in poultry may raise global public health concerns due to their effect on poultry populations, their potential to cause serious disease in people, and their pandemic potential.

The majority of human cases of H5N1 infection have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry. There is no evidence that the disease can be spread to people through properly cooked food. Controlling the disease in animals is the first step in decreasing risks to humans.

The Indonesian health and agriculture ministries have received helping hands from countries such as the United States and Australia in fighting the bird flu problem.

The Australian Government has set up a $22 million, four-year project to help Indonesia control the spread of bird flu.

"The news comes after two people died in West Java of bird flu, and more cases of sick birds were reported in Bali," ABC reported on March 28, 2011 .

A project called the Strategies Against Flu Emergence (SAFE) is launched by the US government in partnership Indonesia to reduce the impact of Avian Influenza (AI) on animals and humans and limit the threat of pandemic influenza in Indonesia.

"Avian influenza continues to pose a serious public health and pandemic threat for Indonesia and the world," USAID/Indonesia Mission Director Walter North said in a press release issued by the US embassy in Jakarta Friday (April 1).

The SAFE project will collaborate with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO to promote early detection and healthier behavior in AI high-risk districts.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

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China discovers virus that killed 36 after betting tick bites

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Antara News, Thu, March 17 2011

Beijing (ANTARA News/Xinhua) - Chinese scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus carried by ticks which led to at least 36 deaths in six provinces by last September, according to the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine published Thursday.

The virus SFTSV (severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus) was recently discovered by scientists at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

People with the virus can experience fever and multiple organ failure.

The presence of the virus was confirmed in 171 patients from six provinces in China. It resulted in at least 36 deaths by September 2010.

CDC Director Wang Yu said between late March and mid-July 2009, symptoms of the infectious disease in humans were reported in rural areas of central Hubei and Henan provinces, but the cause of the symptoms were unknown then.

Major clinical symptoms included fever, thrombocytopenia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and leukocytopenia, and there was "an unusually high initial case fatality rate of 30 percent," Wang said.

Li Dexin, director of the CDC`s virus institute, said farmers living in mountainous areas were most prone to tick bites which were prevalent between May and July.

The virus institute had conducted test on more than 600 shares of patients` blood serum, which showed that the SFTSV was the killer.

Editor: Suryanto

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Bird flu kills hundreds of chickens in Jambi

Posted by Aldie at 12:35 AM | 0 comments

Antara News, Tue, March 1 2011

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Jambi (ANTARA News) - Bird flu has killed several hundred chickens in certain areas of Jambi Kota and Jambi Luar Kota neighborhoods, Jambi province, over the past few days.

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

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Doggy Prozac & Female Viagra: Big Pharma's new 'syndrome' strategy

Posted by Aldie at 7:14 AM | 0 comments

US pharmaceutical companies get creative when it comes to disorders and drugs to treat almost anything, from canine depression to female sexual dysfunction. The American drug trade is a multi-billion-dollar business, and is only getting bigger. Meanwhile the industry has been accused of illegally pushing medicine onto the market, often endangering the lives of patients. In the US, the most common medication prescribed for dogs is to treat aggression and anxiety disorders. Pharmacists admit that Prozac works





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US pharm industry creates diseases to cure them

Posted by Aldie at 4:59 AM | 0 comments

RT, 14 February, 2011

US pharmaceutical companies get creative when it comes to disorders and drugs to treat almost anything, from canine depression to female sexual dysfunction.

The American drug trade is a multi-billion-dollar business, and is only getting bigger. Meanwhile the industry has been accused of illegally pushing medicine onto the market, often endangering the lives of patients.

In the US, the most common medication prescribed for dogs is to treat aggression and anxiety disorders. Pharmacists admit that Prozac works terrifically on dogs.

Yes, there is such a thing as doggy Prozac, a beef-flavored version of the well-known “human” anti-depressant, government-approved and being proscribed by veterinarians for canines in crisis.

“There is a significant population of dogs which is really suffering from separation anxiety,” reveals veterinary behaviorist E'Lise Christensen, from NYC Vet Specialists.

The drug company, one of the largest, is banking on that. They believe up to 17 per cent of US dogs are suffering from this mental affliction. It is an idea some would scoff at, and as Christensen says “I definitely understand being skeptical.”

“Companies are desperate to keep up their profit margin, and do things to keep the margin up, even though the number of new drugs that are important in the pipeline has diminished,” argues Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research.

It turns out those companies do not need doggy drugs in order for critics to make that case. Medical researchers have crunched the numbers and found the pharmaceutical industry now tops the defense industry as the number one defrauder of the US government.

“That was a finding that I didn't expect. No one had really ever looked at it before and it shows you how out-of-control really the pharmaceutical industry really is,” Dr. Sidney Wolfe said.

In some cases it is criminally out of control, perhaps helping this industry go from selling US$40 billion to $234 billion a year in prescription drugs. Over the last two decades, companies have been cheating and endangering patients. Their biggest violations are overcharging the government by billions and illegally marketing their drugs to treat conditions for which they have not proven safe or effective.

One of the largest criminal penalties ever levied against an American corporation involved the drugs giant Pfizer. The illegal practices included essentially hiring positions despite the buzz about the drug, telling their colleagues to prescribe it for a condition it was not approved for.

And when it comes to the drug companies, disease-pushers may not be an unfair way of describing them, as well as drug pushers – that is what one filmmaker found when tracing a newly-minted disorder.

“Female sexual dysfunction itself is something the pharm industry really pushed for and had a hand in creating,” believes Liz Canner, filmmaker of Orgasm Inc.

That is the conclusion Canner came to after following the process of a drug company developing female Viagra. She says only a small number of women need it, but the company has other plans.

“Their marketing and the amount of money they’re pouring into it really says they’re trying to sell this to the whole population,” insists Liz Canner.

And with commercials for prescription drugs airing on TV in the US, companies are in a position to do just that.

With billions being made and not much to lose, critics say even in the case of crime, for this industry nothing is likely to change.

“Unless people go to jail unless the fines are much larger than they have been the companies will find that it's cheaper to cheat” Dr. Sidney Wolfe said.

Companies that stop short of nothing to find some-syndrome, someone or something new to medicate.


Related Article:

Doctors asked to prescribe generic drugs


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Experts admit swine flu jab 'may cause' deadly nerve disease

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Daily Mail, By JO MACFARLANE, 16th October 2010

Health chiefs have for the first time acknowledged that the swine flu jab may be linked to an increased risk of developing a deadly nerve condition.

Experts are examining a pos sible association between the controversial jab and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, according to a report from official watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Previously, the Government has always stressed there is no evidence to link the paralysing condition to the H1N1 vaccine.

Fears: GBS victim Hilary Wilkinson wants
more research on the vaccine
After The Mail on Sunday revealed in August 2009 that doctors were being asked to monitor cases of GBS during the swine flu pandemic, a letter from the Health Protection Agency’s chief executive Justin McCracken stated: ‘There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of GBS from the vaccines being developed to fight the current pandemic.’

Now the MHRA’s newly published report suggests the Government’s position has changed.

It says: ‘Given the uncer tainties in the available information and as with seasonal flu vaccines, a slightly elevated risk of GBS following H1N1 vaccines cannot be ruled out. Epidemiological studies are ongoing to further assess this possible association.’

It is not known precisely what causes GBS but the condition attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet – but it can be fatal.

The MoS report last year
Mother-of-two Hilary Wilkinson, 58, from Maryport, Cumbria, developed GBS following a chest infection and spent three months in hospital learning to walk and talk again.

She said: ‘It’s a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the swine flu vaccine.’

A vaccine used to combat a different form of swine flu in the US in 1976 led to 25 deaths from the condition, compared with just one death from swine flu itself.

Amid fears there could be a repeat, neurologists were asked to record cases of GBS in the UK swine flu outbreak. Millions of people this year will be exposed to the swine flu vaccine as it has been included within the seasonal flu jab.

Government experts say there is no evidence of an increase in risk similar to 1976, but the MHRA report reveals they are calculating if there might be a smaller raised risk.

The MHRA had 15 suspected GBS cases after vaccination – and six million doses of the swine flu jab Pandemrix were given. It is not known if swine flu or the vaccine could have caused the suspected cases.

A spokeswoman for the MHRA said the risk with the vaccine had not changed and that the report ‘simply expands’ on ongoing GBS analysis.

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Rabies Claims 100th Fatality in Bali

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Jakarta Globe, October 15, 2010

Bali, Indonesia. A rabies outbreak on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali has now killed 100 people.

A street dog near Kuta Beach in Bali. The death of a
man in Bali overnight Thursday has taken the death toll
from the rabies outbreak on the resort island to 100.
(EPA Photo)
Ken Wirasandhi, a doctor monitoring the epidemic, said Friday that a 40-year-old villager died overnight after being hospitalized with rabies symptoms.

Bali, an island of 3 million people and one of Asia’s top tourist destinations, has been grappling with the outbreak for nearly two years.

Several countries have issued advisories, telling travelers they should get shots and stay clear of dogs roaming the white-sand beaches.

In a widely criticized move, local officials responded by killing 200,000 stray dogs, saying they couldn’t afford to vaccinate the animals against rabies. That has changed in recent weeks with the help of international funds.

Associated Press

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Bird flu spreads to six regencies in S. Sulawesi

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The Jakarta Post | Fri, 10/08/2010 9:54 AM

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: An avian flu outbreak has hit six South Sulawesi regencies, killing 18,000 chickens.

The head of the provincial animal husbandry agency, Murtala Ali, said Thursday that the infection had spread across the regencies of East Luwu, North Luwu, Pinrang, Soppeng, Sidenreng Rappang and Bone since September. He added that infections were also reported in Barru regency.

Murtala blamed changing weather patterns for the outbreak.

“The virus’ survival is very much dependant on the weather. This extreme change of weather may have triggered the outbreak,” Murtala said, adding that the spread of the virus was helped by the high mobility of chickens.

Four people admitted to Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Makassar on Sept. 29 for displaying symptoms of bird flu infection have all tested negative for the virus and have been discharged from the hospital. — JP

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Poverty Watch: Chicken farming industry empowers villagers in Bantul

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Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | Wed, 10/06/2010 9:46 AM

The bird flu epidemic in 2005 not only caused a decline in the population of local Javanese chicken species, but is also giving potential breeders second thoughts about raising chickens.

“It seems that local species are on the verge of extinction and the demand for poultry increasingly depends on imports,” Sujito said.

Sujito is seen as a pioneer of the Mandiri Free-range Chicken Farming Group in his village in Bantul, Yogyakarta.

He said the villagers’ decision to raise free-range chickens was motivated by haunting questions whether there was a safe way to raise chickens.

They decided to set the chickens free and found many of them died, until they came up with an idea about raising chickens in a coop, isolated from wild poultry.

The chickens were protected from diseases and their growth cycle was quicker than the chickens set free. More residents became interested in the method and in 2007 they formed the Mandiri Free-range Chicken Group, which served as a discussion forum especially on issues related to chicken farming.

“We didn’t imagine that raising free-range chickens would be the main livelihood for people in our area,” group leader Agung Yulianto said.

There are now more than 40 chicken farmers in Pucanganom selling more than 6,000 chickens each month.

For each chicken sold, residents contribute Rp 100 (about 1 US cent) to the group’s coffers. The total has now reached tens of millions of rupiah and covers the cost of day-old-chickens (DOC) and chicken feed.

“The cost of DOC and feed are covered by the group for now. The members pay their dues and contribute during the slaughter to the group’s treasury,” Agung said.

Agung, who studied animal husbandry, said free-range chicken farming helped minimize unemployment and raise people’s well being.

“Rather than working as a laborer in the city, it’s much better to be self-employed because it is more profitable,” Basuki, one of the chicken farmers, said.

The cost to raise a free-range chicken is between Rp 13,000 and Rp 14,000, with a 65 to 70-day-old chicken weighing up to 800 grams and selling for Rp 24,000 per kilogram or Rp 20,000 for a whole chicken.

“Each chicken could brings in between Rp 5,000 and Rp 8,000 in profit,” he said.

The Buras Mandiri chicken-farming community says it also provided free counseling to new farming groups.

“We don’t have special volunteers because we are all volunteers. We will provide counseling to new farming groups, from building coops to teaching raising techniques,”
Sujito said.

Sanden district has seen an increase in chicken-farming communities thanks to Buras Mandiri counseling, such as in Krangan, Murtigading, where a farming group produces 1,600 chickens and in Srigading, where the Segoro group produces more than 4,000 chickens each month.

The success of developing rural economies through free-range chicken farming has made Buras Mandiri a reference point for several poultry institutions and agencies.

Recently, a delegation from the Australian Agricultural Ministry conducted a survey before carrying out a bird flu handling program, and Buras Mandiri was one to the groups included in the criteria.

“Buras Mandiri has raised the people’s awareness. Now if there is a bird flu outbreak or other chicken farming issues, residents are quick to contact us so we can act immediately,” Sanden Animal Health Agency veterinarian Imawati said.

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Bird flu alertness status declared in Balikpapan

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Antara News, Monday, October 4, 2010 23:57 WIB

Balikpapan, E Kalimantan  (ANTARA News) - The East Kalimantan city of Balikpapan government has declared the bird flu alertness status since Sunday following the death of 96 chickens last September.

"Those dead chickens have positively been infected by bird flu virus," Mayor of Balikpapan City Imdaad Hamid said in response to the sudden death of 96 chickens in four villages.

Hamid said the infected chickens belonged to local residents of four villages -- Gunung Bahagia, Sepinggan, Manggar, and Prapatan.

The bird flu virus had so far infected chickens, not birds, and there were no reports of fatalities, he said.

"Therefore, the status that we declare is watching bird flu but if there have been human casualties, we shall increase the status to `extraordinary`," he said.

In anticipating the unexpected eventualities, the city`s government had intensified surveillance and instructed the burning of all bird flu-infected chickens, he said.

The related authorities had even activated check points at such seaports as Kariangau and Kampung Baru to ensure the flows of healthy chickens into and out of the city areas, he said.Various parts of Indonesia remain vulnerable to the bird flu cases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), avian influenza or "bird flu" is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs.

The WHO has warned that the infection with avian influenza viruses could spread very rapidly through poultry flocks.

Over these past few days, the bird flu viruses had attacked a few hundreds of chicken in Pademawu Timur village. The number of infected chickens tended to increase, he said.

Indonesia has been dealing with the bird flu cases since 2005. However, this H5N1 typed influenza is also recorded to have attacked chicken and birds in other Asian countries, such as Thailand, Cambodia, China, and Viet Nam.

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Bird flu outbreak revives in S. Sulawesi, 4 hospitalized

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The Jakarta Post, Makassar, SouthSulawesi | Fri, 10/01/2010 8:20 AM

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar is treating four people from Pinrang and Soppeng regencies for displaying symptoms of avian flu virus infection.

The patients, three of them are children, were admitted to the hospital on Tuesday night after complaining about high fever, suffocation and coughs.

They were immediately taken to the infection center in accordance with the standard operating procedure for avian flu treatment, the hospital’s director, Kalsum Patonangi, said Wednesday.

“We are waiting for the laboratory examination to confirm the status of the patients,” Kalsum said.

Head of the Pinrang health agency for disease control, Dyah Puspita Dewi, said the agency had monitored 30 people who suffered from fever. She added three of them were admitted to the hospital as their health condition worsened.

“We suspect the three people were infected with the bird flu virus as their fever reaches 38 degree Celsius and complain of suffocation, sore throats and coughs, which are symptoms of the disease,” she said.

She added the three patients caught a fever after dozens of chickens nearby their homes suddenly died. — JP

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Tourist Paradise Bali Acts to End Rabies Epidemic

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Jakarta Globe, August 06, 2010

A stray dog wanders near by a temple compound in Jimbaran village in Bali on Friday. The Indonesian government is to vaccinate all dogs on the resort island to combat a raging rabies epidemic that has left 76 people dead over two years. (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumbelaka)  
      

Bali. The Indonesian government is to vaccinate all dogs on the holiday island of Bali to combat a raging rabies epidemic that has left 76 people dead over two years, an official said on Friday.

Around 34,000 people have been bitten by dogs on the island, which is popular with western tourists, in the first seven months of this year alone, authorities said.

“We aim to vaccinate all dogs in Bali by the end of this year to curb the spread of rabies. We’ll start to mass vaccinate the dogs in late September,” Bali animal husbandry agency chief Putu Sumantra said.

“There are still hundreds of thousand of dogs that have not been vaccinated. About 200 teams will be deployed to work in 700 villages,” he said.

Unlike the rest of mainly Muslim Indonesia, where people do not generally keep dogs, Bali is a predominantly Hindu island and dogs are common either as pets or strays.

Sumantra said that since 2008, about 300,000 dogs had been vaccinated. Tens of thousands of stray dogs had also been culled.

Bali health agency head Nyoman Sutedja said there were 34,000 cases of people being bitten by dogs in Bali this year compared to 28,000 dog bites in the whole of 2009.

“The rising cases of bites have made us worry. We need more anti-rabies vaccines for people here,” Sutedja said.

The latest victim of rabies, a 43-year old Balinese woman, died on Tuesday.

Australia and the US have issued travel warnings to tourists about the prevalance of the disease. 

Agence France-Presse

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Thousands of chickens in Bengkulu found dead

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Antara News, Sunday, July 18, 2010 22:44 WIB

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - Thousands of chickens in three villages in Seluma district, Bengkulu province, were found dead in the past three weeks.

The three villages are Suka Raja, Suka Maju and Dermayu.

Hendri, an inhabitant, said on Sunday there were more than 1,000 chicken found dead from an unknown disease.

Fortunately the disease was predicted not to attack humans since there were no unusual cases of people having an unknown disease in the past weeks.

Husen, another inhabitant, hoped the government would immediately investigate the phenomena.

"We hope the government will form a team to investigate and conclude whether the cause of the sudden death of so many chicken here will also affect people," he said.

On the other hand, Central Coordinator for Avian Flu Disease in Bengkulu province, Emran Kuswadi, said he would soon send a team to the location.

"I will send my team to take some samples there," he said.


Related Article:

Bird flu kills tens of chickens in Bengkulu

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Toddler improving after tiger attack

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The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 06/29/2010 2:22 PM

A holiday turned sour for 3-year-old girl Angelica Rosa after she was mauled her Monday by a tiger bred at the Indonesia Safari Park in Prigen in the neighboring East Java town of Pasuruan.

She is undergoing treatment at Lavalette Hospital in Malang.

Hospital director Arif Wijanto said Angelica had undergone plastic surgery shortly after she was transferred from Panca Darma Hospital in Pasuruan on Monday night.

“The patient’s condition continues improving and she is able to communicate. But she cannot eat and drink independently yet due to facial injuries,” Arif said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Angelica and her parents were walking past a section inside the park when the 10-month Bengala tiger leapt onto and mauled her, according to the park’s spokeswoman Tisa.

“The tiger broke free from its handlers who quickly regained control of the animal following the attack,” Tisa said.

She added that park management would cover medical costs that Angelica, a resident of Genduk Indak housing complex in Semarang, Central Java, requires.

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Bali Teen Caught Making Love to 'Flirtatious' Cow

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Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, June 11, 2010

It was on a terrace between two paddy fields like this that Balinese teenager Ngurah Alit was caught having sex with a cow, who he claimed had flirted with him. (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

Denpasar. A Balinese teenager captured stark naked in the act of sexually penetrating a domestic cow claims he believed the animal was a young and beautiful girl.

The young man has been identified as Ngurah Alit, 18, an unemployed youth from the seaside village of Yeh Embang in Jembrana.

Village head Ida Bagus Legawa told the Jakarta Globe that a villager, identified as Gusti Ngurah Dinar, caught Alit committing bestiality “when he was standing naked and holding the cow’s ass.” He was standing on a mud terrace between two rice paddy fields.

A shocked Dinar escorted Alit to the village office for questioning, where he stated that he believed the cow, owned by Wayan Yasa, was a young and beautiful girl.

“She was calling to me, making flattering comments, then I had sex with her,” Alit told local officials.

As is usual in such situations — this is the second recorded instance of cow rape in Bali in about two years — the animal will be drowned at sea in a Pecaruan cleansing ceremony intended to rid the village of what Legawa described as “dirty behaviour.”

Alit will be cleansed in the ocean and must pay a fine of 2,000 traditional Balinese coins.

Wayan will be compensated Rp 5 million ($540) for the loss of his cow.

In 2008, elderly grandfather Nengah Sutarya, 70, was caught in the act of having sex with a cow that he also said had tempted him by claiming to be a virgin girl.

That cow was drowned because villagers believed the 70-year old had impregnated the unlucky animal.

Related Article:

Teenager Passes Out Marrying Cow He Had Sex With


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Bird flu kills 5,500 chickens

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Antara News, Monday, February 1, 2010 15:00 WIB

Purbalingga (ANTARA News) - Bird flu killed around 5,500 chickens in Purbalingga district, Central Java, during January 2010, a local official said.

Some 5,000 dead chickens were found at Tumanggal village and 500 at Pasunggingan village, both in Pengadegan sub district, Purbalingga, Hartono, head of the Purbalingga animal husbandry office, said here on Monday.

The local authorities have conducted measures such as insecticide spraying, rapid test and vaccination to prevent the bird flu or H5N1 virus from spreading to wider areas.

Last year, there were four cases of bird flu and around 6,000 chickens were killed by the virus


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Bird flu kills over one thousand chickens in East Lampung

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Antara News, Friday, January 29, 2010 13:12 WIB

Sukadana, Lampung Province (ANTARA News) - Bird flu (Avian Influenza or the H5N1) virus has stricken three sub districts in East Lampung District, killing at least 1,176 chickens.

"In the current rainy season, chickens are prone to various diseases, including bird flu," Dewanto, head of the East Lampung district animal health unit, said here on Friday.

Some 1,176 chickens had died in seven villages since early January 2010, while in 2009 there had been only 708 dead chickens in 11 villages.

The affected villages include Sukadana, Purbolinggo, and Marga Tiga, East Lampung.


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