No sign of bird flu in Sarawak

Star: As of yesterday, Sarawak health and veterinary authorities have examined nearly 6,000 chickens and, so far, the results show the state is free of bird flu.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said security and ground preparations have been put in place in view of possible contamination from neighbouring Kalimantan.

Measures to combat the disease include:
·EXTENDING the ban on the import of live animals from the Indonesian province to include freshly slaughtered as well as frozen meat;
·SECURING the help of the police and the army to conduct operations at border regions against the smuggling of poultry and livestock from Kalimantan;
·ESTABLISHING specialised teams to deal with bird flu and to direct daily health inspections at border checkpoints;
·PREPARING its own stock of Tamiflu tablets and getting the laboratory at the Kuching general hospital to conduct swift tests to identify the H5N1 virus ; and
·ALLOCATING protective gear and equipment to all hospitals.

Dr Chan, who is also the state disaster relief committee chairman, added: “The state government has also warned farms to report unusual deaths of poultry and livestock.
“We are drawing up a ground zoning contingency plan for culling, quarantine and isolation procedures as well as imposing tougher health directives in wet markets.”
He has met both Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek and Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over Sarawak's preparations.
“If we have any farm in the state infected by the virus, we will cull every animal within a 1km radius, all birds within 2km and impose health checks on all animals and humans within 10km.
“We are worried that because of the size of the state, it may be possible that a few areas would be infected at a time,” Dr Chan told a press conference here yesterday.
“The Federal Government has assured that it will give all the help we need,” he said, adding that the state have since acquired 250 doses of Tamiflu.
Dr Chan said Sarawak’s past experience with the Nipah virus and Coxsackie outbreak is now being put to good use, and the state is ready for any eventuality.