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PUTRAJAYA, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Two children, aged 18 months and
six years, respectively, have been discharged from hospital
after results of bird flu tests conducted on them came back
negative.
Health authorities on Thursday completed the first round of
checks on 505 houses and 2,065 residents within the 300m
radius of the bird flu-hit area in Jalan Genting Klang, Kuala
Lumpur.
Disclosing these developments Friday, Health Minister Datuk Dr
Chua Soi Lek said only two residents admitted yesterday -- a
42-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl -- remained in hospital
and were awaiting test results.
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There had been some confusion in earlier reports pertaining to
the gender and age of the two residents involved.
Speaking to reporters at his office here, he said the second
phase of
checks began Friday and this would not involve
house-to-house screening.
"Health personnel involved in the operation too are being
monitored, and so far they are clear of the deadly bird flu H5N1
virus," he said.
Several settlements along Jalan Genting Klang, including Kampung
Pasir Wardieburn and Kampung Belakang JPJ, have been hit by the
virus which killed chickens there, prompting health
authorities to move swiftly to contain the outbreak. |
Elaborating on the second phase of inspections, Disease Control
Division director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said health officers would
still be in active detection mode within the 300m radius.
"But the modality may not really be house-to-house
checks. They are going back there to look for houses and
residents that they may have missed in the first round," he
said.
In addition, he said, what was termed as "table top" exercise
would be conducted by the ministry to see whether the response
to the bird flu situation was executed according to plan so that
improvements could be made.-- BERNAMA |
