Exercise to gauge bird flu response
The Star, 27 Feb 2006

KOTA KINABALU: A simulation exercise involving all relevant government agencies will be held in Tawau to see how prepared the state is in handling a bird flu outbreak. 

State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said although Sabah did not have any cases of poultry being infected with the H5N1 virus so far, the exercise was still necessary.  

“It would be a thorough exercise,” he said yesterday, adding that it would involve Federal and state government agencies such as the Health Department, Veterinary Services Department, Immigration Department, Customs Department and local councils. 

He said the exercise would involve checking ships in Tawau as well as farms and locations with free-range chickens in Tawau district.  

The district borders Indonesia and has a lot of contact with the Philippines. 

“The avian flu virus is knocking on the doors of many countries. We cannot take it lightly. We must take preparatory and precautionary steps to tackle the problem,” he added.  

Abdul Rahim said special Rapid Force Teams were already on the ground checking and disseminating information in kampungs and urban areas.  

On the deaths of seven chickens in Kampung Bukit Permai in Menggatal here last Saturday, he said laboratory tests confirmed that the deaths were due to bacterial infections and not the H5N1 virus.