January 28, 2005

 

 

Malaysia back on high alert against avian flu

 

Malaysia is now on the look-out for signs of a return of avian flu, which hit the country last year. Outbreaks of the disease has killed six people in Vietnam in three weeks, and Thailand reporting new cases for the year.

 

"The avian flu is back in Thailand. We have to be on high alert again," Veterinary Services Director-General Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein said here today.

 

More than 400 pigeons have been culled in central Thailand after one of the wild birds was found infected with a strain of bird flu deadly to humans.

 

Dr Hawari said all state Veterinary Departments and poultry farms had been directed to be on the alert for birds with avian flu symptoms.

 

"We cannot take the disease lightly as one infected bird is good enough to cause an outbreak," he said.

 

He also reminded all importers that the ban imposed by Malaysia on Jan 23 last year on the import of poultry, livestock, meat and related products from countries affected by avian flu was still in force.

 

"The ban is to prevent the disease from spreading to the country. We have to take stringent measures, including tightening checks at the Malaysia-Thailand border and at all entry points, both ports and airports."

 

Dr Hawari said health experts had expressed concern as the pattern was similar to last year's, when the virus spread rapidly just before the lunar new year.

 

He has appealed to Malaysians, especially those living near the Thai border, to strictly follow advice not to smuggle birds in or out of the country, including fighting cocks.

 

The ministry now has on record 3,271 chicken farms, 425 layer farms, 94 cross-bred chicken farms, 241 duck farms, 121 pet or bird farms, 124 quail farms and 156 other bird farms.

 

Avian flu has appeared in nine other Asian countries, killing or forcing the slaughter of more than 100 million birds. It also infected humans, resulting in 26 deaths in Vietnam and 12 in Thailand.

 

"It has a higher fatality rate than the Ebola virus," the World Health Organisation representative in Vietnam, Hans Troedsson, was quoted as saying yesterday. More than 70 per cent of those infected died.

 

Dr Hawari is expected to attend the World Organisation for Animal Health meeting to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, next month. The meeting is for nations in this region.

 

Several issues are expected to be discussed at the meeting, including the avian flu situation in affected countries, the course of action/prevention to be implemented by each nation to stop its spread, alert warnings on diseases related to animals, and the availability of vaccines for bird flu.