All poultry may be culled

NST: The worst-case scenario on bird flu would compel the authorities to cull all poultry nationwide or embark on a mammoth vaccination campaign.
Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein said either of these would be done if the bird flu spread too rapidly or could not be contained.
He said culling was still the most effective way of containing its spread.
Vaccination was an alternative but its success depended on the availability of vaccine.
Dr Hawari said the initial measures to be taken in the event of infection was rapid destruction of all infected or exposed birds, proper disposal of carcasses, quarantining and rigorous disinfection of farms.
"We will also impose restrictions on the movement of poultry within the country," he added.
Dr Hawari said the department would try to prevent the spread of the disease to other animals and humans.
Avian influenza has led to 65 deaths in Asia, most of them in Vietnam and Thailand.
While there have been no known cases of person-to-person transmission, World Health Organisation officials and other experts have warned the virus could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people. Three influenza pandemics have occurred over the last century.
Dr Hawari said the department was also monitoring the possibility of direct or indirect contact of domestic flocks with wild migratory waterfowl.
He said humans could become infected by contact with discharge from infected birds, especially faeces and respiratory secretions.