Bird flu in Malaysia

Bird flu in Gombak

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government confirmed last night that the deaths of 40 kampung (free range) chicken at four villages along Jalan Genting-Klang here last week were caused by the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the case was an isolated one and that the people need not worry as there was no human fatality.

“Tests by the Veterinary Laboratory in Petaling Jaya and the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh confirmed the cause of death was due to the H5N1 strain,” he said in a statement to the Bernama news agency yesterday.

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Another outbreak of bird flu

PUTRAJAYA: Two cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu strain have been detected in Perak.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said one case was detected at the Ecopark in Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, a tourist spot.

“As a routine surveillance, we sent five faecal samples of birds to the Veterinary Research Institute for testing on March 9. The presence of the virus was confirmed yesterday (Wednesday),” he said in a statement here Thursday.

There are 249 birds from 30 species living in an enclosed area at the Ecopark.

The other case, Muhyiddin said, was detected in Kampung Changkat Tualang, some 100km from the Ecopark, after villagers reported the suspicious deaths of nine chickens to authorities.

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Farmer may have had bird flu

GOPENG: Poultry farmer Abdul Razak Abu Othman, whose free-range chickens died from the H5N1 virus, is believed to have suffered from symptoms related to the bird flu.

Abdul Razak said a doctor he consulted for cough and body itch last week had diagnosed him as having contracted “a type of bird flu virus.”

The 34-year-old farmer, from Kampung Changkat Tualang in Kota Baru near here, said he was also suffering loss of appetite.

“During the time I was ill, I realised that a few of my chickens were dying each day,” he said yesterday when officers from the state Veterinary Services Department began culling the chickens at his farm.

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Migratory birds may be the cause of bird flu

By HAH FOONG LIAN

IPOH: The two areas where birds tested positive for the H5N1 virus were a haven for migratory birds.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali said the Ecopark of Bukit Merah Laketown Resort near Taiping was renowned for migratory birds, while Kampung Changkat Tualang in Kota Baru near Gopeng was near a bird sanctuary.

“The infection could be from migratory birds,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

“As such, I have instructed that all bird sanctuaries, such as Kuala Gula, Teja and Kampung Gajah, be monitored closely.”

Tajol Rosli said 38,749 birds located within a 1km radius of the affected areas would be culled to prevent the virus from spreading.

“We sympathise with the farmers and the resort but we have to cull the birds, chickens and ducks so that the virus does not spread to commercial farms,” he added.

Tajol Rosli said the state had the biggest chicken and duck industry in the country, with poultry exported to Singapore.

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Singapore suspends poultry imports from Perak after H5N1 cases

SINGAPORE : The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority has imposed a suspension on imports of poultry and poultry products from Perak with immediate effect.

The suspension follows news from Malaysia that an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu has been confirmed in the state, in Bukit Merah Laketown Resort's EcoPark and Kampong Changkat Tualang.

AVA says the current suspension will not affect poultry imports from the disease-free zones in Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

The suspension will also not affect the supplies of chicken and egg as Singapore does not import these from Perak.

But AVA says there will be a temporary shortfall of ducks.

This is because Perak supplies about 80 percent of Singapore's total duck consumption.

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