Two Discharged As First Checks On Bird Flu-Hit Area Completed

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Two children, aged 18 months and six years, respectively, have been discharged from hospital after results of bird flu tests conducted on them came back negative.
Health authorities on Thursday completed the first round of checks on 505 houses and 2,065 residents within the 300m radius of the bird flu-hit area in Jalan Genting Klang, Kuala Lumpur.
Disclosing these developments Friday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said only two residents admitted yesterday -- a 42-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl -- remained in hospital and were awaiting test results.
There had been some confusion in earlier reports pertaining to the gender and age of the two residents involved.
Speaking to reporters at his office here, he said the second phase of checks began Friday and this would not involve house-to-house screening.
"Health personnel involved in the operation too are being monitored, and so far they are clear of the deadly bird flu H5N1 virus," he said.
Several settlements along Jalan Genting Klang, including Kampung Pasir Wardieburn and Kampung Belakang JPJ, have been hit by the virus which killed chickens there, prompting health authorities to move swiftly to contain the outbreak.
Elaborating on the second phase of inspections, Disease Control Division director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said health officers would still be in active detection mode within the 300m radius.
"But the modality may not really be house-to-house checks. They are going back there to look for houses and residents that they may have missed in the first round," he said.
In addition, he said, what was termed as "table top" exercise would be conducted by the ministry to see whether the response to the bird flu situation was executed according to plan so that improvements could be made.