Jakarta (VNA) - A team of Indonesian veterinarians has developed a disinfectant spray that could kill the bird-flu virus on contact, Indonesia 's Antara news agency reported on Feb. 26.

The disinfectant could be used to spray cages and areas where fowl have died from H5N1 to prevent it from spreading, said the team from Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java.

"Just as we have been fogging to control dengue fever, we expect this new disinfectant to be able to prevent the bird-flu virus from infecting humans," Antara quoted Fedik Abdul Rantam, a professor at the university's veterinary school and the team's leader, as saying.

To stop the spread of the virus, the Jakarta government has banned backyard poultry farms in residential areas in the capital and nine provinces.--Enditem