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IPOH, March 22 (Bernama) -- As culling of birds continues in
areas hit by the bird flu in Perak, sampling of birds is being
conducted in all states under a government order.
In PERAK, about 5,000 birds, mainly poultry, were destroyed in
Kampung Changkat Legong near Gopeng and the Titi Gantung
Agriculture Complex in Bota.
State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and Tourism Committee
Chairman Datuk Mohd Radzi Manan said 90 per cent of the 2,000
free-range chickens bred in Kampung Changkat Legong were
destroyed, along with 3,000 more at the Titi Gantung Agriculture
Complex.
He said the operation continued today to cull 6,000 more fowls
in 12 villages.
Birds in the two areas were found to have been infected
yesterday. A dead cattle egret was found in Taman Panorama, Ipoh,
but there was no culling of fowls. Only samples were taken at
locations within a one-kilometre radius.
Mohd Radzi said samples had been taken in all parts of the
state, especially in areas known to have been visited by
migratory birds, such as Kuala Gula and in central Perak and the
Kinta district.
He said all departments and agencies under the Agriculture and
Agro-based Industry Ministry had been asked to be ready to help
prevent the spread of the disease should more cases be detected.
In Changkat Tualang and Bukit Merah, the two areas where the
first outbreak of the disease was detected in Perak, about
42,000 fowls and birds have been culled, he said.
In KELANTAN, State Veterinary Services Director Dr Idris Kadir
said samples were being taken throughout the state to locate any
source of the H5N1 bird flu virus, especially at places where
migratory birds were found. These included Pasir Puteh, Bachok
and Tumpat.
He said 700 samples were taken in the state since early this
year but no H5N1 virus was found.
He asked enforcement officers at the border with Thailand to
step up vigilance to check the smuggling of fowls into the
country. He also advised the people to cease cock-fighting
activities to prevent fowls from being smuggled into the state
from Thailand. Dr Idris also asked poultry farm operators to
tighten "bio-security" measures to prevent chickens from being
infected.
In TERENGGANU, the Veterinary Services Department had taken 358
samples from fowls last month.
Department Director Dr Azizol Mohd Sharum said the samples were
sent to the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh but were found
to be negative.
"We take samples on two days each month and expect to take
another 358 samples this month," he said when contacted by
Bernama.
In KEDAH, 13 pigeons found dead in Kulim two days ago and one in
Kuala Kedah this morning had been sent to the Veterinary
Services Department in Penang to determine whether they had been
infected by the H5N1 virus.
State Veterinary Services Director Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan
Nizam said three chickens found dead in Bedong three days ago
were also sent to the same laboratory. He said no cases of bird
flu had been detected in the state so far.
The department also stepped up sampling of
fowls in areas
near |
Seberang Perai, Penang, after six chickens were found to have
the H5N1 virus in Permatang Bogak, Seberang Perai, recently.
Meanwhile, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said
Kedah was still free of the virus but the Veterinary Services
Department had been taking proactive preventive measures.
He asked chicken breeders and the public to inform the
department (Tel: 04 - 720 5212) if they came across dead birds.
In PENANG, the Wildlife and National Parks Department captured
migratory birds from padi fields and along the coast in the
Seberang Perai area for sampling.
Department Deputy Director Wan Mat Wan Harun said the areas of
focus included Penaga, Kuala Muda, Kampung Tok Bedu, Pajak Song,
Kuala Bekah, Bakar Kapor and Kampung Paya Tok Akil.
The samples were sent to the Veterinary Services Department in
Bukit Tengah. The birds included Flamingo, Black-crowned Night
Heron, White-throated kingfisher, Schrenck's Bittern, Cinnamon
Bittern, Chinese Pond Heron and Java Pond Heron.
Samples were also taken from pet shops in the state. It is
learnt that Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to visit Permatang Bogok,
Wednesday night to see for himself the operations to prevent any
outbreak of the disease.
In JOHOR, the State Veterinary Services Department has begun to
take samples of birds in areas where migratory birds are known
to frequent.
Head of the department's health division, Dr Rahizad Abdul
Shukor, said these were high-risk areas because of the migratory
birds calling there. However, so far the H5N1 virus did not show
up in any sample. He said some of the areas frequented by the
migratory birds were Tanjung Piai, Parit Jawa and Parit Yusof.
The department has also placed its staff at entry points of the
state to prevent fowls from being smuggled in.
In NEGRI SEMBILAN, State Veterinary Services Director Dr Abdul
Latif Borhan said 500 samples had been taken from birds in the
state.
"Besides the bird flu, I have also instructed our officers to
detect any incidence of the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)
in every district. He asked the public to report any case of
either disease to the department.
In MELAKA, swabs had been taken for testing from chicken and
ducks farms, pet shops and bird parks, State Veterinary Services
Director Dr Zainal Hassan said.
He said the department had been doing this since the first bird
flu case was detected in Kelantan two years ago. So far, the
samples were found to be negative.
In SABAH, Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Abdul
Rahim Ismail told Bernama several agencies under his ministry,
including the Veterinary Services Department, had obtained
samples of birds, including migratory birds, in the state but
the samples showed up negative.
The state government, however, would step up preventive measures
to ensure that the state was safe from the disease, he said. The
steps include a ban on "import" of chicken from the peninsula
and intensification of checks at the Indonesian-Sabah border to
prevent smuggling of birds into Sabah. |
He said officers from the state had been sent to Perak and
Penang to learn how these states handled the bird flu situation.
In PERLIS, a special task force has been set up to handle any
case of bird flu.
State Veterinary Services Director Dr Johari Mingan said the
team not only carried out operations round the clock but also
received feedback on possible cases of the disease from the
public.
He told reporters at his office that 59 samples were taken since
the beginning of the year but all were found to be negative.
Samples would also be taken from 30 small and large chicken
farms with 5,000 to 20,000 chickens, he said.
He asked the people who had information on birds found to have
died in unusual circumstances to report the matter to the
department at 04-976 2600.
In SARAWAK, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said
the Sarawak Veterinary Authority (SVA) had taken a total of
18,000 samples from poultry farms state-wide since 2004 to check
for the presence of the H5N1 avian flu virus.
Dr Chan, who is also Sarawak Minister of Modernization of
Agriculture, said its personnel had been instructed to carry out
the exercise on all the poultry farms, pet shops and along the
Sarawak-Kalimantan border.
"We have been doing that all the time. When there are two or
more poultry deaths, SVA will conduct the test to detect the
disease. However, all the 18,000 samples tested negative," he
told reporters.
On the import of salted duck eggs from China and Vietnam, which
had proven to be potential carriers of the deadly H5N1 virus, Dr
Chan said the SVA would conduct an investigation on the matter.
Dr Chan also said that the SVA had not instructed its personnel
to collect chicken for culling near the Sarawak-Kalimantan
border in Bau, Serian and Tebedu.
He said several unidentified people claiming to be SVA staff had
gone around to collect chicken, purportedly for culling.
"The rumors caused panic and anxiety. If there are any positive
cases, the relevant authorities, including the SVA personnel
with proper identification and properly attired in personal
protective clothing and face mask, will be doing the culling.
"Furthermore, the medical and police personnel will also be
involved in the culling and surveillance operation," he said.--
BERNAMA |
