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Massive exercise to check for bird flu
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PETALING JAYA: The Veterinary Services Department (VSD) is launching a massive surveillance exercise today, involving its staff from the whole peninsula, Universiti Putra Malaysia veterinary medicine faculty students and staff and vehicles of government agencies and departments. Its acting director-general Datuk Dr Mustapa Abd Jalil said the surveillance team will gather for a briefing at the Veterinary Management Institute in Cheras. As of yesterday, there were no cases of suspected H5N1 avian influenza infections from the surveillance, inspection and monitoring works conducted throughout the country. To date, 2,227 chickens, 122 ducks, 102 birds and 516 eggs were destroyed in operations covering 1km radius from the index case. Surveillance within 2km to 10km radius from the index case is also carried out to ensure areas like Kuala Lumpur city, Ulu Klang and Gombak are free from bird flu. The Selangor health department also carried out checks within 2km to 3km radius from index case, covering Selayang, Batu and Hulu Klang. |
Those inspected include 24 chicken or bird owners, three pet shops and 237 birds, and 114 swab samples were obtained. Clinically, all were found negative from the virus, he said. Mustapa assured the public all chickens, ducks and eggs in the market are safe for consumption and must be cooked at a minimum 70ºC for half an hour, based on recommendations by the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) health officer Sion Rahmat said: "We are experienced and we are here to contain the virus." A 28-man joint operation by DBKL Health Department and VSD to catch and cull fowls was conducted in Taman Danau Kota, Taman Ibu Kota, Camp Wardiebur n, Kampung Sri Kelantan and Kampung Pasir Wardieburn to prevent the spread of the virus yesterday. The group was divided into four teams with three DBKL health officers, driver and three veterinary officers each to screen a kilometre radius of the source of outbreak. Sion said he and his "comrades" had been working round the clock since the first day of the outbreak in Setapak two days ago. |
"We received orders from our superiors to carry out virus disinfecting and containing operations in morning and evening shifts and we are proud to do it as it will save lives," he said during an operation. Sion said he had been rounding up animals for years and "that includes stray dogs, birds and also pigs". "The bio-hazard suit is stuffy and hot but we just want to get the job done safely and effectively so that no one falls sick," he added. Veterinary officer Roslina Abdullah, who participated in the operation, said each operation will be carried out with extra precaution so that no one is infected while rounding up animals and birds. "We do not insist to catch the birds if we are not able to catch them, but we will have contingency plans to deal with them. "For example, pigeons are very difficult to catch by hands, thus we will consider shooting the birds," she added.
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