January 16, 2004

Malaysia Declares Bird Flu Free Status

Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng declared the country's poultry population free of bird flu.

Surveillance by the Institute of Medical Research showed that Malaysia's poultry has not been affected by Avian flu despite the rapid spread of the disease in the region. Thousands of poultry have already been killed in Vietnam, South Korea and Japan

"The situation in Vietnam and Japan is of concern to us," Chua said. "The Cabinet has directed the (relevant) ministries to keep tabs on the situation." Chua was speaking at a Press conference after opening a seminar on "Regulation and Safety of Dietary Supplements in Safeguarding Public Health" at the Holiday Villa Hotel here today.

The Health Ministry has also sent an advisory to the Department of Veterinary Services to advise farmers on measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak.

On dietary supplements, Chua said the ministry had drafted amendments to lift the maximum daily allowable limits for various vitamins and minerals such as iodine, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc in all dietary supplements.

This is to prevent an overdose of vitamins and heavy minerals.

Chua said the new limits would be incorporated in the proposed new registration guidelines expected to be completed and issued by next month.

The proposed guidelines will include mandatory use of designated Security Holograms to be implemented by June, which will be affixed to every product registered with the Drug Control Authority.

"This is to prevent widespread abuse through counterfeiting and unregistered items sold in the market," he said.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Veterinary Services Department had implemented preventive, surveillance and emergency measures to face the bird flu threat.

This includes monitoring the health status of poultry farms, reporting high mortalities (three per cent) at any one time and sending routine samples from poultry to regional laboratories to check for the disease.

No case of infection had been detected, but Muhyiddin said close monitoring was being done.

He said all State Veterinary Departments were on the alert to enforce farm quarantine, movement control and disposal of infected birds should the virus be detected.

Besides this, the Veterinary Services Department is also cooperating with the Wildlife Department in the States - collecting samples from wild birds captured at bird sanctuaries.