Materia Medica Malaysiana

BIRD FLU WATCH: Malaysia sets Jan 3 deadline

The Government has set Jan 3 as the last date to declare Malaysia free of the disease although the country would have achieved such a status on Nov 1 according to World Organisation for Animal Health standards.
According to the organisation, a country can be declared free of bird flu if no new cases surface within 21 days of the last case or the last day of culling.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the new date was set following concerns about the possible re-emergence of the disease due to heavy rains in Kelantan.
He said the ministry would continue conducting checks in the areas first hit by the disease before declaring Malaysia free of the disease.
He said the state Veterinary Services Department (VSD) would continue surveillance for another three weeks until Jan 21 to ensure the disease did not make a comeback.