November 23, 2004
Malaysia Reports New Bird Flu Discovery
Bird flu was recently detected among some 200 poultry in a Malaysian state, dashing the country's hope of declaring the country free of the disease, the Veterinary Services Department said Tuesday.
The department had been expected to make the much-awaited announcement this week. It has been more than 21 days since the last case of the H5N1 strain of the virus was discovered on Oct. 10. The World Organization for Animal Health had set the 21-day period as the criteria for bird flu free status.
Laboratory tests on poultry samples taken two weeks ago from Pulau Besar, a village in the northeastern state of Kelantan, detected the H5 virus.
Veterinary Services Department Director General Hawari Hussein said more tests need to be conducted to confirm whether it is the H5N1 strain of the virus that is known to infect humans.
Some 200 birds in the village had already been culled as a precaution.
"As a result, the move to declare Kelantan totally free of the avian flu will only be made when the ongoing surveillance no longer detects anymore H5 virus and clinical signs," he added.
Hawari considered the threat as high because the disease is still active in neighboring countries. Malaysia reported its first bird-flu outbreak in mid-August following the discovery of two dead fighting cockerels in Kelantan. Authorities suspect the birds caught the virus while participating in a cockfighting competition in Thailand.
The outbreak has been confined to the state so far.
Authorities have quarantined the entire state, setting up 24-hour roadblocks and border patrols. Over 8,000 chickens, ducks and pet birds have been culled.
Malaysia's poultry industry has reported losses of up to 10 million ringgit (about $2.63 million) following import bans by Singapore and other countries due to the outbreak.
On Sept. 30 Singapore agreed to partially lift the ban and resume importing poultry products from other Malaysia states that are free of the virus.
