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PUTRAJAYA, Feb 22: Of the eight people with flu-like symptoms
warded in hospitals, five have been cleared of bird flu.
The two adults and six children — all living in a cluster of
four villages off Jalan Genting Klang — were tested for the H5N1
virus at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital following the discovery
of bird flu in Gombak,
Health authorities have also culled some 800 birds in the area
around Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, where
more than 80 chickens were found dead over the last 10 days.
Since confirmation on Monday that the chickens had died of the
H5N1
virus, Health Ministry teams have screened 916 people from
161 homes in Kampung Wira Jaya, Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, Taman
Danau Kota, Pekan Danau Kota and Kampung Belakang JPJ.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said of those screened, 10
displayed flu-like symptoms and were sent to Kuala Lumpur
Hospital.
SENT FOR SCREENING: Two children leaving the Lee Rubber
Kindergarten to be taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for bird
flu checks. |
Three were subsequently discharged but seven were isolated in a
separate ward and are being tested for the avian flu
virus as a precaution. Dr Chua said the results were
expected tomorrow.
"They displayed symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection.
We have admitted them for further investigation, just to be on
the safe side," Dr Chua told a Press briefing.
The two adults — a man and a woman — and six children between
the ages of two months and 12 years had been directly exposed to
sick birds.
Dr Chua stressed there had been no human-to-human
transmission of the
virus.
Health teams are conducting
surveillance on people living within a 300-metre radius of
Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, with door-to-door health screenings
and education programmes for the residents.
"We have 11 teams and they will continue to maintain a presence
within that radius for the next seven days. However, there is no
quarantine order imposed on residents there," Dr Chua said.
Health teams are on the ground asking those living beyond the
300m radius to report to hospitals within 14 days if they fall
ill with flu-like symptoms.
Regarding the dissemination of information about the disease, Dr
Chua said only he, Health director-general Datuk Dr Ismail
Merican and communicable diseases division director Dr Ramlee
Rahmat would be allowed to speak to the media. "This is to avoid
confusion as the status and number of patients can change at any
time."
The Kuala Lumpur Hospital has been designated as the treatment
centre for cases of H5N1 in humans. Dr Chua added that medicine
was being stockpiled to treat humans. |
