Culling Begins In Two Areas In Perak

IPOH, March 16 (Bernama) -- The Veterinary Services Department (VSD) and the Health Ministry Thursday began culling over 38,000 chickens and ducks in Kampung Changkat Tualang, Gopeng and the Ecopark at the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Taiping after the bird flu virus was detected in the two areas.
The operation began at 5pm and over 1,000 poultry raised by villagers and a farm had already been destroyed, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali told a news conference at his office Thursday night.
Two cases of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza were confirmed Wednesday after tests.
Tajol Rosli said the operation in Changkat Tualang involved a farm breeding 20,000 day-old ducks, 8,000 chickens and 10,000 50-day-old ducks.
About 500 chickens belonging to villagers would also be culled, he said.
"The authorities will destroy all the chickens and ducks as soon as possible to prevent the spread of the virus outside of the affected areas," he said.
He hoped farm operators and villagers would cooperate with the authorities in the ongoing effort.
"The state government will take firm action and will not compromise with any breeders and villagers in the culling operation," he said.
On the virus that was detected at the Ecopark, he said all 249 birds belonging to 30 species including parrots, owls and canaries kept in the park would be destroyed.
"The birds are kept on a one-hectare island and only the island has been affected," he said.
The park located on an island in the Bukit Merah Lake is an attraction for visitors to the resort while another island is used to keep exotic animals like Orang Utan.
Tajol Rosli said the government would pay suitable compensation to the breeders for the loss incurred.
He said so far no human infection had been detected in the two areas.
He said the virus was believed to have been carried to Perak by migratory birds.
The two affected areas have many swamps and pools created in former mines that attract migratory birds.
Tajol Rosli said the immediate action taken was to ensure Perak, as Malaysia's largest poultry breeding state and main supplier to Singapore, would not be seriously affected by the outbreak in the long run.
Changkat Tualang is located about 30km south of Ipoh while Bukit Merah is near Taiping. The distance between the two areas is about 150km.
Meanwhile, Changkat Tualang residents were cooperating with the health personnel involved in the culling operation as they had expected it after nine chickens were found dead in the village last Saturday.
A resident who wanted to be known only as Abdullah said he had expected the operation after a veterinary team came to inspect the village following the discovery of the dead chickens.
"We have seen chickens belonging to residents in Kuala Lumpur being culled after the virus was detected there, so my neighbour and I are prepared," he said.
In Bukit Merah, reporters and photographers were not allowed to enter the resort to cover the culling operation.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Thursday said the Veterinary Institute Wednesday confirmed that the death of birds in the park last Thursday and free range chickens in Changkat Tualang on Saturday was due the H5N1 avian influenza.