Ministry takes no chances

Star: PETALING JAYA: No bird flu cases have been detected among humans following the detection of virus at Kg Paya Jaras Hilir near Sg Buloh on Tuesday, said the Health Minister.
However, the ministry was not taking any chances and had taken precautionary steps including opening up operation centres, interviewing villagers and distributing bird flu awareness brochures, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek said
He said that active case detection (ACD) had been carried out within a 300m radius from where the dead chicken were found.
“The ministry has conducted checks on 71 houses involving 307 residents. No one was infected,” he said.
However, the Sg Buloh Hospital is on standby to accept any suspected avian influenza cases he said.
Dr Chua said that anyone who had had contact with an infected chicken or who had fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty in breathing should seek treatment at a nearby clinic or hospital.
He also advised residents to alert the nearby district health office, clinic or the veterinary office if they found more dead chicken in their village.
Four operations centres was opened yesterday at the Selangor state health department, Petaling health office, Sg Buloh Hospital and also at the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) at the ministry's Disease Control Unit. The CPRC hotline number is 03-8881-0600 or 03-8881-0700.
He said health officers had also been briefed on the Alert, Enhanced Surveillance and Management of Avian Influenza in Human guideline.
“All health and Veterinary Services Department officers involved in the culling of the chickens will also be placed under a 14-day surveillance as precautionary measure,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sabah government slapped a ban on the import of fresh chicken from Peninsular Malaysia following the discovery of the bird flu virus.
The state government also imposed strict checks at entry points from neighbouring countries.
State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said in Kota Kinabalu that, as of yesterday, the state was free of the virus.
“We have stepped up our surveillance and monitoring all entry points,” Abdul Rahim said yesterday.
“Our checks are not only on chicken but other animals,” he said, adding that it was aimed at stopping smuggling of livestock from Philippines and Indonesia into the state.