Malaysia May Be Declared Free Of Bird Flu In A Few Weeks

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is expected to be declared free of bird flu in a few weeks as no fresh cases of the disease have been reported in recent days, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Thursday.
"We are conducting active surveillance in Perak and in Setapak and Gombak (in Selangor) and have been getting negative results while routine inspection is going on in all states," he told reporters after attending an international discourse series organised by the Nurul Yaqeen Foundation in Wangsa Maju near here.
He said he hoped that the sale of chicken would improve after demand dropped following the outbreak of the disease and despite calls by the government that cooked chicken was safe to eat.
Muhyiddin also said that Singapore was reconsidering importing chickens from Selangor after imposing a ban following the bird flu cases in Gombak and Setapak.
" ... but we will wait for a month before exporting to Singapore to ensure that there are no more outbreaks in the other states. Singapore does not prohibit import of chicken from Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan," he said.
Muhyiddin said the ministry would adhere to the procedure of culling birds in the event of an outbreak of bird flu though it was seen as cruel because it was the best way to check the spread of the disease.
Scientists, industry experts and researchers were of the opinion that use of vaccine would not be able to check the spread of the disease, he said.
"The vaccine does not guarantee that the virus can be destroyed and it can remain in the meat and endanger humans," he said.
Muhyiddin also said that the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow would incorporate preventive measures against diseases as agriculture and plantations would develop into major industries.
For example, he said, RM500 million was being allocated to fight the foot-and-mouth disease that attacked cattle and it included getting expertise from Australia.