JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia´s decision to report bird flucases in humans only every six months, rather than immediately,is irresponsible and could lead to delays in containingoutbreaks of the disease, a scientist said on Friday.

Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari, who has clashed withthe international community and United States over her handlingof health issues, on Thursday said her ministry had changed itspolicy and would only report cases every six months.

She did not say whether that reporting policy also includedthe World Health Organization (WHO). But a health ministryofficial said on Friday that the ministry had not decided yetwhether it would report to the WHO every one, two, or threemonths.

"It´s a drawback," said Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, a bird fluresearcher at Bali´s Udayana University.

"It´s an obligation (to report) not only every day, butevery minute if there´s a new development. If they only reportto WHO every six months, it will be too late to recognize ifthere´s a new development towards a pandemic."

WHO officials in Geneva said they are still seekingconfirmation of the new policy.

With 108 confirmed human fatalities from bird flu,Indonesia has the highest toll of any nation. Since the virusresurfaced in Asia in late 2003, it has killed 241 people in adozen countries, according to the WHO.

Supari has attracted criticism from the internationalcommunity for her stance on sharing bird flu samples.

Officials in Indonesia have said they want to ensure equalaccess to any vaccines that are made against bird flu, but U.S.Health Secretary Michael Leavitt said in April after visitingJakarta that Indonesia also wanted payments.

The United States and Indonesia are also locked in adispute over the future of a U.S. naval lab in Jakarta, mainlyover virus transfers and the number of U.S. staff allowed tohave diplomatic status.

International health experts say it is vital to have accessto samples of the constantly mutating H5N1 virus, which theyfear could change into a form easily transmissible among humansand sweep the world in months, killing millions of people.

"We are obliged to report to WHO, we are also obliged toreport it to the public," said Nyoman Kandun, director-generalof communicable diseases at the health ministry, adding thatthe new policy was meant as a better way to "package" theinformation.

Indonesia so far has maintained its decision not to sharebird flu samples, saying it wants guarantees from richernations and drugmakers that poor countries would get access toaffordable vaccines developed from their samples.

(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Sara Webb andDavid Fogarty)