February 9, 2004

 

                       

Malaysia Bans Import of US Chicken Over Bird Flu Fears

 

Malaysia today banned the import of poultry, livestock and meat and related products from the United States following bird flu outbreak in Delaware.

 

Agriculture Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, when contacted, said: "I have directed Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein to alert importers of poultry, livestock and meat and related products of the immediate ban." The US is the 11th country whose poultry products have been banned here. The others are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Pakistan.

 

Avian flu has killed 13 people in Vietnam, and five in Thailand. More than 50 million chickens have been culled in Asia to stem the spread of the virus.

 

Muhyiddin said Malaysia imported chicks from the US for breeding purposes.

 

"I was told the number was small. But we do not want to take chances. That is why we imposed an immediate ban," he added.

 

Muhyiddin said he was unsure of whether Malaysia imported processed poultry and chicken products from the US.

 

On Friday, Delaware officials ordered the culling of some 12,000 farm chickens infected by avian flu.

 

State Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse was quoted as saying that the flu strain was different from the one spreading to the human population in Asia, and that there was no threat to human health.

 

Muhyiddin said Malaysia would take all precautionary measures to avert the spread of the disease.

 

"I am briefed daily about the avian flu situation around the region and globally. I am also given a daily update of the situation in the country," he said, adding that Malaysia was free of the disease.

 

When told of the case of the owner of a pet shop admitted to the Kota Baru Hospital with avian flu symptoms, Muhyiddin said: "The health authorities are keeping tabs on the man's condition and veterinarians are at the farm to check if the pets have been affected by the avian flu." Initial reports received, he added, said the birds in the shop were not infected by the disease.

 

"We believe the owner was admitted to hospital to rule out the possibility of infection in view of the avian flu outbreak in neighbouring countries," he said.

 

Muhyiddin reiterated that Malaysia would be transparent in the matter, with an immediate alert sounded if there was an outbreak.

 

The minister gave his assuarance that it was still safe to eat chicken.