By Luh De Suriyani
Bali
The change of season happened in the late of 2007 on Nusa Penida Island, Klungkung District, Bali. A veterinarian who is working there, I Gede Nyoman Bayu Wirayudha suddenly reported a number of sudden dead poultry to Livestock, Fishery and Marine Service of Klungkung District.
“Actually the chickens had been vaccinated with ND (newcastle desease or tetelo),” he wondered. He assumed it happened due to lower immunity of the chickens because of the change of season from hot weather to rainy.
In August 2007, local Livestock Service conducted rapid test and declared that the dead chickens were infected by Avian Influenza (AI), more known as bird flu.
Bayu started to worry on this issue because he is also the Director of Begawan Giri Foundation, which just started to free Balinese mynahs (Leucopsar rothschildi) on Nusa Penida at the end of 2007. “We also have to be aware of wild birds, not only on chickens,” he reminded.
One month after the AI case finding on Nusa Penida Island, in September 2007 hundreds of people were busy with the preparation of huge ceremony at Dalem Ped Temple, Nusa Penida Island. This great work lasted for one month. Although it is located across Bali Island, this temple is often visited by people from outside of Nusa Penida Island.
In the end of the year, Participatory Disease Searching and Response (PDSR) teams responded immediately in controlling Bird Flu. There were 40 bird flu cases found on Nusa Penida.
The rate of AI case finding is considered high on Nusa Penida Island, a small island that produces seaweed, and it surprised the local Livestock Service.
“How is it possible that bird flu has already flown away across the island? “There is no poultry farm there, isn’t it?” a Veterinarian, I Gusti Ngurah Badiwangsa Temaja, the head of Animal Head Section of Livestock Service, Fishery and Marine of Klungkung District asked himself.
He described Nusa Penida as a place which is not good for Avian Influenza virus to live in because it is hot, virus will die soon. He thought so. Then, the most important is that there are no farming centers or even medium-scale farms there and also there is no animal slaughter site.
Badiwangsa and his office colleagues could not find reasons how it is exactly the flow of of bird flu occurence on the island which is now starting to be visited by many tourists.
Meanwhile, AI infected poultry case in Klungkung District is increasing. The case findings spreaded in 19 villages in Klungkung in 2007.
Most of infected villages were not farming centers. There is only one duck farm, which is located in Takmung Village in the suburb, near coast.
Seven months later, in April 2008, Badiwangsa was just able to map risk factors of AI transmission in Klungkung after conducting survey by directly observing and interviewing using questionnaire. According to the survey result, most AI cases were found following traditional and religious ceremonies in Klungkung. “Indirectly, traditional ceremonies and religious rituals contribute to AI transmission in Bali,” said Badiwangsa.
“I think, this survey result can be generalized for all districts, that the risk of transmission is quite high when there is a use of poultry in a big quantity i.e. for traditional ceremonies in Bali,” he said calmly.
According to him, the main problem is the background of poultry to be sacrificed as offering in the ceremony. “The poultry have travelled inter-districts and cities for long time until they arrive in the transit at Galiran Market,” said Badiwangsa mentioning the biggest poultry market in Klungkung or even in Bali.
As the biggest poultry market in Bali, Galiran Market is the center of poultry coming from different districts outside Bali either legally or illegally. Therefore poultry sold at this market have to travel long time from other districts or provinces. Then, from this market the poultry are purchased for consumption and also for the needs of traditional ceremonies.
Aside from that, the survey result shows risk factors of AI transmission which is not really significant including the origin of poultry for consumption, the habit of throwing dead poultry into a ditch, the presence of commercial farm in the village and duck grazing during post-harvest period.
According to Badiwangsa, water flow is a media of bird flu transmission. Some chickens and ducks given as offerings in the traditional and religious ceremonies are cleaned in the river bank by people who work together to prepare hundred kinds of offerings. This method is more efficient and faster due to big quantity of animals to be cleaned.
Poultry has very important meaning in the implementation of traditional and religious ceremonies in Bali. Since a Balinese person was born, he/she has been blessed with various Manusa Yadnya ceremonies such as ceremony to celebrate a baby at the age of 3 months, 6 months, adult and death ceremony. It is definite that one of the offering facilities is chicken, served cooked or for caru (sacrifice).
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In early October 2008, around 40 kilometers from Badiwangsa’s office in Klungkung, hundreds of people were busy preparing massive ngaben ceremony in Pekarangan Sub village, Manggis Sub district, Karangasem District.
Tens of people were involved, working together with other hundreds of village citizens. They were busy preaparing various eguipments for pitra yadnya ceremony, a way to show the last dedication to the most beloved person who has passed away.
Ngaben, a holy ceremony can cost millions even hundred millions. One of the highest expense is slaughtering animals for offering and consumption of people who are involved for many days in the ceremony.
Wayan Madia, Kelian Adat (the head of local traditional village) called his people for a meeting to start the ritual of slaughtering chickens, ducks and pigs for offering and consumption. Around 100 male teenagers and adults were ready with their knives brought from home.
Tens of chickens and ducks have been caged since three days before. “Chickens, duck and pigs must be in good quality and may not be sick. It is difficult for us to buy pigs because they have to be pigs with shining black fur,” said Madia.
Animal for offering for traditional or religious ceremonies usually should have soft fur or feathers in accordance with the philosophy of its ritual. For example, dark black chicken is offered to god Siwa. White chicken is for god Wisnu.
Men who are ngayah (working volunterally) at that time were divided into three groups. The first group was to slaughter, the second group was to clean the feathers/fur and the last one was to clean the giblets.
Blood was scattered in front of the banjar (village office), a venue where usually traditional meeting is held. Poultry feathers were piled up everywhere. Some were sticked on the sandals.
The noise was getting louder in the man group which has duty to clean the organs inside of the poultry stomach. Containers with warm water are filled with dirt from inside of the chickens and ducks that are mixed in one container.
Dark and strong smelly water is then thrown away into the street. Water is quickly absorbed by soil and grass in the surrounding area, leaving poultry feces and its residue.
“It is better to work in the river. The dirt can directly be washed away, not floating like this,” said a resident.
As clean water from PDAM (Drinking Water Local Government Company) has already been provided to this sub village since 5 years ago, people do not use the river a lot. Only cows, livestock that have been raised many by people take bath in the river recently. Small paths along the river are now difficult to walk through because they are covered by thick trees.
“Animal for offering cannot be infected by disease. It is not possible to be infected by bird flu because we choose the healthy and best animal,” said Madia.
Ida Jero Mangku Ketut Suparta, one of pemangku (leader of religious ceremony) in this sub village agreed with Madia. “Before animal is given for offering, it has been through a ceremony and sprayed with tirta (holy water). It is believed that the animal is already holy and ready to become caru (sacrifice),” he said in Balinese language.
A number of people who had heard conversation about bird flu suddenly joined the conversation. They supported the conclusion that original poultry from Bali will not be possible to infected by bird flu. “Only Javanese poultry which can be infected. “Here, we do not have the risk,” said a resident.
“The ones which died due to bird flu were from Java,” continued I Nengah Geria, the only poultry farmer in this sub village.
Geria’s statement is not fully correct, because even when Bali had closed the entry gate for poultry from outside Bali, still bird flu cases were found. However, Geria’s belief has been agreed by other people and farmers. “This is one of the difficulties of the effort to change the behaviour of poultry handling in Bali,” said Badiwangsa.
Up to this October Bali has reported 2 people died due to AI infection. One of the cases happened to Ni Luh Putu Sri Widiantari, 29 years, a resident of Negara sub district, Jembrana district last year, she died due to H5N1 positive infection, the cause of bird flu.
Compared to other areas like West Java, DKI Jakarta, and East Java, the case in Bali is relatively small. However, the social impact of bird flu in Bali is much bigger than the impact on the health itself. It happens because Bali become the Indonesia’s ‘shop window’ in the eyes of international due its position as tourism destination. Even small case in Bali will become the international limelight.
Due to its position as the mirror of Indonesia in the international eyes, the government of Bali especially at the early stage was also defensive in facing this case. In 2004, there was a researcher who found this case in Bali but government refused it. “The fact that I submitted is based on academic study, but apparently it was brought into the political interest,” said I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, a researcher at Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Udayana University Bali who found the case in June 2004.
Bali itself is still vulnerable to experience epidemic of this case. Therefore, the government of Bali is now actively conducting bird flu control campaign. For example, campaign on safe chicken consumption to minimize the suspicion of tourists against the quality of food in Bali as well as education to farmers both on bird flu disease and the hygiene and sanitation of chicken house, conducting insectiside spraying with iodine, formalin and other substances.
They also have depopulated sick and dead animals by burning and burying them, restrict visits to the field by service workers or private health division as well as prohibit sick chicken trading or chickens from infected areas in Java.
Therefore, since 27 October 2003 Livestock Service of Bali has closed its area to poultry from Java Island. Governor Bali’s regulation (Pergub) Number 44/2005 concerning Temporary Closure of Poultry Entry and Transit from outside Bali.
“The closure measure has given siginificant result in controlling AI virus because we believe that AI is brought by poultry outside of Bali,” said Ida Bagus Ketut Alit, the Head of Livestock Service Bali. Up to now, the Governor’s Regulation is still valid. Ketut Alit said that there is no intention to revoke the prohibition because AI case is still found in Bali. The last PDSR AI finding was in last March in five native chickens in Karangasem District.
Livestock Service of Bali Province recorded the highest poultry death rate due to AI in 2004, it was 722 thousand chickens. Two years later the rate was decreased sharply up to 2000 chickens on average and increased again in 2007 as many as 14,679 chickens. In 2007 it also recorded the highest incidence rate within the last six years, that was 188 incidences. It means the exposed area is getting wider.
Ketut Alit asked farmers and community members who raise free ranging poultry in the backyard (backyard farming) to be more alert to prevent bird flu infection approaching rainy season by the end of this year.
“The situation of avian influenza (AI) currently in Bali is under controlled. But we hope early alert toward rainy season which is vulnerable to influenza transmission,” said Alit at his office.
Effort from government only is not enough because generally Balinese people believe more in supranatural things or invisible power (niskala) than in the visible one (sekala).
This is also believed by Wayan Werti, 32 years, a resident of Klungkung who is also a duck farmer. “Since I was teenager, I have been taking care thousands of livestock. I believe in God, it is not possible to be infected by strange diseases. If they are infected by the disease, there must be other people who are jealous of my business and creates disease to me,” this woman said very convincingly.
According to Werti the man made disease is a kind of guna-guna or black magic from other person who does not like to see the success of becoming duck hatchery farmer. “If bird flu does exist, it is only in the market because of chickens coming from Java. It does not exist in the people houses,” he said.
The result of research by Badiwangsa says differently. The result of analysis on 641 respondents of households and the heads of 18 sub villages and 25 sub villages which are not infected shows the risk factors that mainly cause infection of AI outbreak are traditional and religious ceremonies.
It is caused by the origin of poultry for consumption and traditional ceremony, the habit of throwing poultry carcass into a ditch and garbage bin, the presence of market village and animal farm in a village. In addition, the risk factors are duck farming in the rice field during post-harvest period and a number of traditional ceremonies held in a sub village.
From all respondents as many as 93% of them raise poultry, mostly are chickens, then duck, manila duck and geese. Almost all of them is household-scale farmers where they raise the poultry in their backyard (backyard farming).
Respondents reported their poultry which died suddenly following a religious holiday celebration (44%), and following traditional ceremony (28%).
Data found by PDSR shows AI infection in poultry had been found a lot in 2007, that was 526 poultry. Badiwangsa marked on the map of Klungkung District with red and green dots, a sign of AI case finding in poultry.
“Although most people own poultry, they do not want to use their own poultry to be made as banten (sacrifice). They prefer to buy from market and collector yard, ” said Badiwangsa.
The same thing is done by residents of Dawan Kaler village, Dawan sub district, Klungkung. The head of Dawan Kaler village, Kadek Sudarmawa, 34 tahun, even admitted that he loves tens of his native chickens.
Every three months he needs native chickens for religious ceremonies. Almost all of them are bought at the market, actually he could slaughter his own chickens which are free ranging in the backyard.
“Almost all people here raise native chickens in their backyard. If the price in the market is very expensive, then I will use my own chickens,” said Sudarmawa with smile.
Every six months, when religious ceremonies are held at some big temples in that village, the need for chicken and duck is very high.
In 2007, village was shocked by two cases in a row which happened to native chickens belonged to two families in the village. Sudarmawa initially did not believe that bird flu had infected favorite chickens of the people in the village. Eventually, it was confirmed by a veterinarian who did rapid test in the dead chickens.
First case of AI was found in dead native chickens belonged to Wayan Sukadana. Three days in a row since 19 August 2007, five sudden dead native chickens. While this man of 60 years old has only 11 chickens which are raised without cages in the backyard. Quick response team or PDSR of Klungkung District declared that the five dead chickens were postive infected by bird flu.
Local PDSR team then conducted depopulation or focal culling of six chickens belonged to Sukadana. In addition, they also conducted disinfection spraying and education on poultry handling. The next day PDSR conducted massive AI vaccination for poultry raised by local people.
Few days later, people of Dawan Kaler village was shocked again with the finding of sudden dead chickens. This time, it was reported by Komang Warsana, the head of Kayehan Dawan Kaler village, to Animal Health Post in the village.
“I was suspicious because the day before the chickens were healthy, the next morning they directly died. Actually I was going to use them for traditional ceremony,” complained Warsana. He did not dare to touch his chickens because he remembered bird flu case in his neighbour chickens.
Local veterinarian team finally ensured that his chickens were AI positive. “I don’t believe it, almost all people have native chickens in their houses. I gave in my 30 native chickens to be burnt,” said the man of two kids sadly.
After the two incidences, people often talk the possibility of AI transmission sources during sangkepan (meeting) at the village center. One of the suspicious things is the behaviour of some people who throw away chicken carcass into the river or in the backyard. “If there is a carcass in the backyard, usually dog will take it away and bring it around the area,” said Warsana.
Aside from that, people agree not to throw away chicken carcass recklessly the leftover of caru (offering in the form of poultry sacrifice) from traditional ceremony into the river. “During every sangkepan people are always reminded regarding this issue and bird flu alert because almost all of people raise native chickens in the house,” said the head of Sudarmawa village.
I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, a researcher at laboratory Biomedic and Animal Molecular of Udayana Denpasar University said that the habit of people after buying poultry for ceremony is that the poultry is not slaughtered immediately. This makes poultry that have been purchased will possibly contact other poultry in the house.
Technically, AI virus can survive in wet feces for 7-10 days. Apart from that, it also lives on the feathers, egg skin and giblets. “AI does not exist in cooked meat and egg,” he said.
Therefore Mahardika also agrees with Badiwangsa, the behaviour of slaughtering animals especially for traditional ceremony has to be changed. “Do not clean and slaughter chicken in the river bank or water spring. It will be better if people buy slaughtered chicken in the market for ceremony, so they do not need to slaugheter the chiken at home ,” he said.
Badiwangsa in his survey report recommends to restructure village market as the place of trading and also as animal slaughter site. People are expected to start buying slaughtered poultry for traditional ceremony. “But the tradition of working together to slaughter animal before traditional ceremony is very difficult to change. Suggestion to buy carcass for ceremony is difficult to be implemented,” he said.
Therefore he chooses the solution to be more actively campaigning that poultry to be used for ceremony as well as the leftover of slaughtering should be handled in accordance with the guidelines of bird flu control.[*]
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