KUCHING: The Veterinary Services Department in Sarawak plans to conduct a mock exercise in culling birds to improve its effectiveness in responding to any outbreak of avian flu. 

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the exercise would be carried out by the department with help from other agencies including the local authorities and police. 

“Since infected birds die within hours and the virus spreads very fast, we need an effective response,” he said after a meeting yesterday with relevant agencies on the exercise. 

He urged the public not to smuggle in fowl as all imports from infected countries, including Indonesia, have been banned since last year. 

“This is very serious and I would like to appeal to the public not to bring in fowls, whether it is fighting cocks, free-range chickens or whatever,” he said. 

Dr Chan also called on farmers to report any dead poultry or birds on their farms, saying that the Government would compensate them for the birds whose deaths were reported. 

He added that the State Disaster       Relief    Committee,

which he chairs, will be looking into implementing the federal government’s endemic response plan to bird flu. 

Sarawak will also launch a month-long anti-dengue campaign on Nov 13. 

Dr Chan said the campaign named “Destroy Aedes” will not only be an awareness campaign but will involve search-and-destroy action against aedes mosquitoes. 

As of yesterday, 1,014 cases of dengue have been reported in Sarawak, an increase of 123% from the same period last year, he said. 

“This is quite alarming as it’s more than double the number we had last year,” Dr Chan said, adding that one-third of the cases were reported in rural areas. 

Sarikei division is the worst affected as all its four districts have reported more than 20 cases each, while Kuching and Miri are the worst urban areas affected with 191 cases each.