Materia Medica Malaysiana

Check swallow farms for avian flu

Dr Edmond See, Sungai Petani
2:19pm Wed Feb 4th, 2004

I would like to congratulate the government for taking precautionary steps to prevent the current strain of avian influenza from spreading into our country. It is a relief to know that the authorities here have the foresight to include migratory birds in their list of animals suspected of carrying the flu virus, instead of only confining it to poultry such as chickens and ducks.

Although it has not been scientifically proven that wild birds can harbour the germ, it is always safer to be comprehensive rather than lackadaisical in the practice of preventive medicine. Therefore, it is encouraging to note that the authorities are conducting tests in areas where migratory birds converge and the public is being advised to avoid contact with these birds.

However there is one particular field, which the scientists and authorities have failed to recognise as a potential threat to our nation’s health. This is the cultivation and rearing of swallow birds in premises meant for business, in towns all over Malaysia.

In the past few years, buildings have been converted to resemble the habitat of these birds and various methods have been employed to attract the swallow birds to build their nests in these locations.

read more on this interesting letter to Malaysiakini