To date, 10 people have been tested since the avian flu outbreak was detected in the Gombak vicinity in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek said tonight.
Updating the press on the latest development, he revealed that four people aged from 18 months to 49 are currently placed in the isolation ward while a fifth person is in the normal ward. The others have been discharged.
 Chua stressed that no case of deadly H5N1 avian influenza has been detected in human being so far.
“There is no avian flu among humans....only chickens in Gombak area, Genting Klang Batu 4 ½ were found to have been infected. (There were) just confined to that area,” he said, adding that the active surveillance will continue for one week.
The minister appealed to the public to report any incidents of birds dying under any circumstances to the veterinary services department.
Not too late
He declined comment when asked on the delay by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry in announcing the outbreak.
“This question you should ask them. It’s not nice for me to comment on other people’s ministry,” he said.
Asked his view as a medical doctor, he said: “ I don’t think so (it’s late). For avian flu to spread from chickens to humans there has to be close contact. It doesn’t mean that when the result is late, then it’s too late and people will die. In fact , in term of basic health and agriculture infrastructures, we have one of the best in Asia. You people must be aware of that.”
On Monday, the government confirmed the outbreak of avian influenza after 40 chickens died in four villages on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
More than 800 birds have subsequently been culled and 455 eggs destroyed in a bid to prevent the outbreak spreading. |
