The Indonesian government unveiled here on Thursday a plan to expand H5N1 avian influenza virus surveillance beyond birds and pigs to other animals.

Mathur Riady, director general of livestock production at the ministry of agriculture, said that the surveillance would include domestic animals such as cats.

"It's not impossible H5N1 will also infect rodents," he was quoted by the website of Jakarta Post as saying.

The government warned on Wednesday that the outbreak of bird flu could become an epidemic.

Four Indonesians are confirmed to have died since July from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Nine other patients suspected of bird flu are now being treated at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in Jakarta. The authorities are still waiting for their test results.

Source: Xinhua