Preparing for the possible outbreak of a potentially catastrophic disease is inherently limited by the actions and inactions of the weakest partners.

Indonesian and international health officials reported this week that the country covered up the spread of bird flu until this summer, when people began to get sick. The outbreak started in poultry plants and then spread among the country’s chicken population before crossing over to people. Indonesia, instead of aggressively working to counter the spread of the disease, failed to act.

The bird flu is already widespread through much of Asia, where many countries lack the health care and regulatory infrastructure to quickly identify the disease and react. Along with an enormous poultry population and high density human populations, the region is particularly susceptible to a pandemic if bird flu mutates into a form that can be easily passed among people.

No matter what precautions the United States, Europe and the rest of the developed world take, the front lines in the fight against any avian flu crisis will likely be in countries the least capable of an effective response.

A century ago, the United States was an island away from many of the world’s health problems, protected by oceans and distance. The world is a much smaller place today. In addition to stocking anti-viral drugs and planning for the appearance of bird flu domestically, the United States must actively pressure other, poorer countries to be better prepared and make available the necessary resources. It’s not a question of foreign aid; it’s a question of biological self-defense.

But those countries also need to recognize their responsibilities to the rest of the world. When Indonesia failed to act and lied about the extent of the problem and its efforts to counter the disease, allowing the bird flu to spread and then kill its own people, it also put the rest of the world at heightened risk.