By Sonny Inbaraj, Internews health journalism trainer

MEDAN, North Sumatra, Jun 23 (IPS) - ''I really feel strongly that the issue of health and safety of reporters covering avian flu must be addressed by the management of news organizations,'' said Daenk Haryono of the North Sumatra-based ‘Harian Global' daily.

''Many times I've seen my colleagues go out to the field, not aware that they should be at least wearing face masks and gloves,'' he added. ''It seems like the editors just want our stories and couldn't give a damn about our safety,''

Haryono has every reason to worry. Two reporters have so far been admitted to hospital, suspected to be suffering from avian influenza or bird flu. The latest victim from the popular ‘Tempo' daily was rushed to hospital last week when he developed high fever after covering the mass culling of chickens and the funeral of a bird flu victim in West Java.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country has reported the world's highest number of human deaths from bird flu this year, with 51 cases to date and 39 deaths. The world total is 228 cases with 130 deaths. The lethal H5N1 virus is already endemic in birds in Indonesia.

In North Sumatra, the spectre of a deadly global flu pandemic was raised early this month when the World Health Organisation (WHO) admitted it was having difficulty identifying the source of bird flu infection in a case where seven people in the same family died.

It is Indonesia's largest cluster to date and has raised fears of human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus.

"Good reporting is essential to educate the public about the risk of outbreaks in their poultry and how to protect themselves in the eventuality of a human pandemic,'' said David Swayana of the ‘Harian Waspada' daily.

"But news organizations should make preparations to protect their reporters in the field before they are sent out to report stories on the illness,'' added the journalist at a training seminar for news reporters organized by the U.S.-based media development agency Internews and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The Brussels-based International News Safety Institute has the following guidelines for news media staff covering stories on bird flu:

Avoid direct contact with poultry that has no apparent symptoms, as well as with sick or dead poultry and any surfaces that may have been contaminated by poultry or their faeces or secretions;
Wash your hands thoroughly and as frequently as possible and definitely after any potential contact. You should use soap and water where possible, or waterless alcohol based hand rubs when soap is not available and hands are not visibly soiled;
You may want to use personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, overshoes;
You must monitor your health for 10 days after your last exposure. If you become unwell with a fever, develop a cough or have difficulty breathing you must seek medical help immediately.

But to be fair, a few large media organizations in Indonesia do have guidelines for their reporters.

"It is compulsory for all members of the news crew when they're out reporting in the field to wear masks and gloves,'' said Fitrianti Megantara of the Jakarta-based Trans TV. ‘'It's written down in black and white for us to follow,'' she said.

Trans TV cameramen, too, according to Megantara, have been instructed by their management to keep their distance from victims and are excused from filming in houses where there have been deaths.

She said her TV station's journalists are also subject to a compulsory blood test for the H5N1 virus if they had been reporting in the field for a week or more.

While face masks are deemed as standard protection gear, many journalists complained that villagers often didn't want to talk to them if they wore one.

"It's really difficult getting interviews if I were to wear a face mask,'' said Iir Sairoh of the West Java-based ‘Radio Cindelaras'. ‘'I seem to scare off people with it,'' she added.

But the radio journalist revealed that not wearing a face mask, each time she conducted an interview has a traumatizing effect on her.

"It's okay when I'm doing the interview, with the adrenalin flowing to beat the deadline. But after I've filed my piece that's when I become scared,'' she told the seminar.

‘'That's when I realise that I haven't had any protection and it just plays on and on in my head that I'm going to get sick and die,'' said Sairoh, while sharing her experiences with her colleagues.

Sairoh revealed that once she had a fever after returning from a village where there was a bird flu outbreak.

"That was very scary and I told myself that if the fever persisted for another day I would go to the nearest hospital. Fortunately it did not,'' she said. ‘'Maybe I'm just a hypochondriac,'' added Sairoh, laughing it off.

Prof. Luhur Suroso, the avian influenza team head in Medan's Adam Malik hospital, had this advice for journalists at the seminar. ‘'Though human-to-human transmission of avian flu still has not been confirmed scientifically, you need to take precautions while covering the issue in the field,'' he reminded them.

"There are basic measures you can take to reduce your chances of catching and spreading the disease,'' said the chest specialist. ‘'Wearing face masks and gloves should be compulsory for reporters.'' (END/2006)