Last week the government reported that two people in Tangerang, a man and his child, died after testing positive for the H5N1 virus (aka bird flu).
As a precaution, the Department of Agriculture and Food Security in Tangerang destroyed dozens of pet pigeons in Cipondoh, Kota Tangerang, because that tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
The head of the department, Iis Ayesha Rodiah, said that the culling was done on Monday in the area around Perum Puri Taman Permata Fruit.
“There were 30 pet pigeons that we burned. We burned them about 300 meters from the house of the late Mr. N (the man who died last week). We destroyed them after it was proven they carried the H5N1 virus based on saliva samples we took,” Iis said as quoted by Tribunnews.
According Iis, the pigeons belonged to eight residents in the area. Officers said some of the owners refused to allow their birds destroyed.
“But after we approached them and explained how dangerous bird flu is, they finally gave up and the 30 birds were destroyed,” Iis said.
