November 26, 2004

 

 

Singapore to Continue Malaysian Poultry Imports Despite New Bird Flu Discovery

 

Singapore will continue importing poultry and eggs from two Malaysian states despite the presence of bird flu in another state.

 

The latest discovery of bird flu virus in Kelantan does not affect the export of poultry and eggs from Johor and Malacca, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

 

It added that the city-state's ban on imports from the rest of Malaysia could be lifted after Malaysian authorities declare that Kelantan, which borders Thailand, is free of the virus.

 

Outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of bird flu this year have resulted in the forced culling of tens of millions of birds in Asia.

 

Officials have been conducting tests in northeastern Malaysia since Aug. 17, when bird flu was first discovered in fighting cocks smuggled from Thailand. More than 18,000 birds have been culled in Malaysia.

 

Although the deadly H5N1 virus has not been reported in Malaysia since late September, Malaysian Veterinary Services Department Director-General Hawari Hussein said Tuesday that chickens in the Tumpat district of Kelantan had tested positive for the H5 subtype of the virus.

 

Singapore banned all poultry and egg imports from Malaysia on Aug. 18, after bird flu was detected. It lifted the ban on selected farms in Johor and Malacca on Sept. 30 after certifying that those sites were flu-free.

 

Johor is the state closest to Singapore and Malacca is on Malaysia's west coast, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of the city-state.

 

Singapore imports most of its fresh food from neighboring countries, including Malaysia.

 

Before the ban, Malaysia supplied about 120,000 live chickens, 20,000 ducks and 2 million eggs to Singapore every day.