January 20, 2011

Malaysian breeders advised to vaccinate its poultry

Malaysia's Terengganu veterinary department has recommended that chicken breeders should vaccinate their poultry as the disease goes rampant in the state.

Deputy director, Dr. Ahmad Shafri Hassan, said the disease had infected fowl in several areas of Kuala Terengganu.

"We advise chicken breeders in areas still free of the disease to have their livestock vaccinated," he said.

Thousands of chicken in the district have died of the blight in the last week, causing the breeders to lose more than MYR100,000 (US$32,780).

Dr. Ahmad Shafri said that many breeders had stopped vaccinating their chicken because the disease had not occurred for a long time.

Terengganu Breeders Association secretary, Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, said that blight normally follows a flood.

He said the association had asked breeders in villages not affected by the disease to contact the veterinary office to help them protect their poultry.