Materia Medica Malaysiana

Bird flu: Call for tight surveillance

Malaysia should ensure its avian flu surveillance system is tight enough to prevent the entry of diseased birds into the country.
Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein said this was one of the most important ways of keeping the disease at bay.
"The main reason for the spread of the disease is the movement of diseased birds," he said.
Dr Hawari, who returned recently from a regional conference on bird flu in Ho Chi Minh City, said the primary focus of the surveillance system was to foil the smuggling of diseased birds.
He said the department was aware of such attempts in the recent past.
"One diseased bird is enough to cause an outbreak. We will also check on ducks which are said to be carriers of the disease."
He said the department had taken samples from duck farms, especially in Perak. All were free of the disease.
Dr Hawari said another concern was to maintain the nation's high alert status in the wake of the death of millions of chickens and some humans in Asia.