Indonesia and China plan to forge cooperation in eradication of avian influenza (AI) which has attacked poultry in both countries, local media on Saturday quoted official sources as saying.

Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, director of animal health at the Agriculture Ministry's directorate general of animal husbandry, said in Jakarta on Friday that the cooperation between the two countries will take the form of exchange of experts and in AI vaccine production.

"We're still studying the cooperation," Tri Satya said while briefing reporters on the result of her recent visit to China.

She also said that the two countries needed to forge formal cooperation on the import of AI vaccines product from China.

In the meantime, the official said that the planned culling of AI-infected pigs in Tangerang, Banten, would not be effective in eradicating the AI virus.

"The key to eradicate bird flu lies in poultry because these animals are the source of the spreading of the virus," she said.

Therefore, she said that her office would intensify surveillance of all kinds of fowls, including ducks, in Tangerang.

The Agriculture Ministry announced that from August 2003 to July 1, 2005, AI had spread to 21 provinces and 132 districts or cities and already caused the death of 9.53 million chickens.

Meanwhile, Director General of Animal Husbandry at the Agriculture Ministry Mathur Riyadi disclosed on Thursday (July 21) that South Sulawesi, Jambi, East Kalimantan and North Sumatra had also been affected by AI.

Earlier, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyanto said the government would destroy AI-infected poultry to prevent the disease from spreading to other areas in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2005)