No new avian flu cases

Star: PETALING JAYA: There has been no new cases of avian flu detected among birds nationwide, said Veterinary Services Department acting director-general Datuk Dr Mustapa Abdul Jalil.
“Everything is under control. There are no new cases of avian flu, not even in the previously affected areas in Penang and Perak”, he said when contacted yesterday.
Dr Mustapa said they had completed the active surveillance phase, and random sampling of birds nationwide turned up negative for the deadly H5N1 virus.
He said they would not relax on border control, however, but would continue with strict monitoring as the country has yet to be declared bird flu free.
“Also, birds from other areas are barred from being brought into Johor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca, as these three states have 160 accredited farms that are still allowed to export their chicken, ducks and eggs to Singapore,” he added.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry communicable disease control director Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat said all patients previously admitted after displaying bird flu-like symptoms had been discharged.
“There are no new cases of admission in the country. The last patient admitted was on March 28 and he has since been discharged.”
On the Chikungunya viral disease that hit the fishing village of Bagan Panchor near Pantai Remis in Perak, Dr Ramlee said four of the five patients admitted had been discharged. Some 200 residents had been diagnosed with the illness and given outpatient treatment.
“We are currently reducing the source of infection by conducting fogging and destroying the breeding ground of Aedes mosquitoes, which is the vector that carries the virus.”