The Indonesian government confirmed the strain type of the avian influenza (AI) virus in Indonesia was H5N1, so called bird flu which could mutate to human, but not yet reported that it had infected human, a senior official said on Tuesday.

To prevent the dissemination of the virus to other animals and humans, the government has been conducting a depopulation program by chopping of and vaccinating the poultry, and would give compensation of new baby chicken to breeders who had chopped of their poultry.

"The result of identification shows that the sub type of the avian influenza virus in Indonesia is H5N1. It is pathogenic to poultry, if the disease mutates, it can infect human," the Director of Animals Health of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tri Satya Putri Naipospos told reporters in a press conference.

The confirmation came after the ministry carried out some serum tests last week, shortly after avian influenza type A was found in Indonesia.

After knowing the strain of the virus, the government could give a right vaccine to deter the dissemination and would report the result to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

On January, 29, 2004, the government and the Indonesian parliament agreed to announced emergency situation for the bird flu.

The official declined to give exact number of the chopped chicken and said they have not completely data on it.

The government confirmed last month the avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreak in the country with the first case occurred on August 29 in Pekalongan District in Central Java Province.

Some 4.7 million chickens have died since August, 60 percent died of Newcastle disease and 40 percent of a combination of Newcastle disease and avian influenza -- and at least 400 farms have been afflicted by the outbreak.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2004)