Pet store owner in Malaysia tests negative for bird flu
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Malaysian pet store owner who has been quarantined in a hospital and is being tested for possible avian flu, has tested negative for the disease.
Malaysian officials had earlier said that the 40-year-old man who lived in Kota Bahru, a northern city close to Malaysia's border was hospitalised recently with flu symptoms.
"The man is being warded for observation and to determine whether he is a victim of the deadly virus. It is just a precautionary measure," said director of communicable diseases at Malaysia's Health Ministry, Ramlee Rahmat, of the man who breeds birds.
Veterinary Services Department Director-General Hawari Hussein said the store in Malaysia had been closed temporarily and initial results indicated none of the birds there were infected with the virus. More comprehensive test results were expected on Monday.
If the case is confirmed, it would be Malaysia's first case of bird flu, which has swept through Asia, killing 13 people in Vietnam, five in Thailand and prompting the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens in the region.
Malaysia has reported no cases of bird flu so far, and has stepped up checks at entry points with affected countries, including Thailand, to prevent infected people or animals coming in. - CNA
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