Malaysia on alert for avian flu

NST: Malaysia is on alert for avian flu following recent outbreaks in Indonesia and Thailand.
Veterinary Services acting Director-General, Datuk Dr Mustapa Abdul Jalil, said the nation had not let its guard down after the last round of cases in both neighbouring countries.
“The nation is still on high alert. Our concentration now is on the Malaysia-Thailand border,” he told the New Straits Times.
He said the department was concerned with latest developments in Thailand where 80 patients from 19 provinces were being monitored for bird flu infection.
With 42 deaths since July 2005, Indonesia is now tied with Vietnam as the world’s hardest-hit countries in human avian flu deaths. However, Vietnam has had no bird-flu deaths since last year.
Experts fear the virus will mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, at least 134 people have died worldwide since the disease began spreading in Asia in late 2003.
Dr Mustapa said Malaysians should cooperate with the authorities in ensuring that chickens, dead or alive, and their products were not smuggled into the country.
“We also need the support from all government departments and agencies to nab the smugglers,” he added.
Under the Customs Act 1967, smugglers can be fined 10 times the amount of the seizure or jailed three years for the first offence. Subsequent offences carry a penalty of 20 times the amount or five years' jail.
He said the department has not stopped its surveillance nationwide and chicken farms were constantly checked for unusual deaths of birds.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry Disease Control Department director Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat said all State Health departments are on alert for people with bird flu symptoms, especially foreigners flying in from bird-flu infected countries.
“All State Health departments are also in the midst of conducting the avian flu simulation exercise,” he added.
He said so far Sarawak, Penang and Johore had conducted the simulation exercise at all health clinics and hospitals while Perak started its two-day exercise today.
“The other states will be conducting theirs soon,” he added.
Dr Ramlee said a nationwide avian flu simulation exercise involving all ministries, departments, agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, police and army is being planned.