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Stumped over
spread of avian virus |
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PETALING JAYA: Authorities are stumped as to how birds at the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort’s Ecopark in Perak became infected with the dreaded H5N1 virus. The ecopark’s 249 birds covering 30 avian species were entirely enclosed in the aviary by a canopy. Furthermore, the park is isolated on a small island near the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort and is accessible only by boat. Head of the disease control and veterinary biologic unit Dr Kamaruddin Md Isa told theSun yesterday that authorities had yet to determine the source of the contagion. “We have sent the virus strain for genetic analysis”, he said. “We hope it will provide information on the source of the virus --- what country or even the state it originated from”, he said. |
The site of the infection has since been quarantined and all birds within a 1km radius had been culled by Saturday morning. On March 15, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry reported that five faecal samples collected in a routine surveillance on March 9 at the aviary had tested positive with the H5N1 virus. “We are continuing surveillance and our investigations”, Kamaruddin said. The Veterinary Services Department and the Health Ministry will also continue active surveillance of areas within a 5km radius of Kampung Changkat Tualang in Kinta where nine chickens sent for testing on March 11 were confirmed to have died of bird flu on March 15. All avian life in the village have been destroyed, except for a few owned by |
villagers that may perhaps, have been inadvertently left out. Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said on Saturday that there was no sign of anyone contracting avian flu and urged the public not to panic or listen to rumors. Meanwhile, the government has paid more than RM81,000 in compensation to the owners of poultry and birds culled last month after the bird flu virus was detected on a stretch of road along Jalan enting Klang in Kuala Lumpur, Bernama reported yesterday.
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