Malaysia dispels bird flu spread Officials say those hospitalised are stable
Sunday, June 10, 2007
MALAYSIA has found no human cases of bird flu so far, with 10 of 11 people taken to hospital with symptoms having tested negative, a Health Ministry official said yesterday.
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said there were no human cases of bird flu in the country so far, state Bernama news agency reported. "Due to the strong commitment by the government and cooperation from all sides, we were able to contain this outbreak from infecting people," Chua said.
The results for the 11th patient are not yet in.
Of the 11 who had shown symptoms, seven were in the central state of Selangor, two in the northern state of Kedah and two in the central state of Malacca, the official Bernama news agency quoted the official as saying.
Malaysia detected the H5N1 bird flu virus in chickens in a village in Selangor on Wednesday, the first time avian influenza had been found in the country since March 21 last year.
The authorities have been culling chickens within a one-kilometre radius of the outbreak as a protective measure.
The latest of those suffering from ill health are two young boys, diagnosed with high fever in northern Kedah state after playing with chickens which later died in their village, said Zainuddin Wahab, the health ministry's deputy director for disease control.
However, no H5N1 virus has been found among the latest birds that died, he said.
"In the first place, the veterinary department confirmed that there was no bird flu detected among the dead chickens in the village there, so the source of the infection is not H5N1. It's definitely not bird flu," Zainuddin said.
Officials said all of those hospitalised are in stable condition and did not show symptoms of being infected by the H5N1 virus.
Five others aged between 11 months and 35 years, who were hospitalised on Friday are also stable. All live within 300 metres of the Wednesday outbreak Malaysia's first in more than a year on the outskirts of the capital.
Health officials have conducted checks on 476 houses and 3,204 residents of Sungai Buloh and a neighbouring village where 60 chickens have died of the H5N1 strain, in central Selangor state. Two young boys, aged 13 and 7, were also hospitalised in southern Malacca state with flu-like symptoms after they had visited relatives in Selangor.
AFP
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said there were no human cases of bird flu in the country so far, state Bernama news agency reported. "Due to the strong commitment by the government and cooperation from all sides, we were able to contain this outbreak from infecting people," Chua said.
The results for the 11th patient are not yet in.
Of the 11 who had shown symptoms, seven were in the central state of Selangor, two in the northern state of Kedah and two in the central state of Malacca, the official Bernama news agency quoted the official as saying.
Malaysia detected the H5N1 bird flu virus in chickens in a village in Selangor on Wednesday, the first time avian influenza had been found in the country since March 21 last year.
The authorities have been culling chickens within a one-kilometre radius of the outbreak as a protective measure.
The latest of those suffering from ill health are two young boys, diagnosed with high fever in northern Kedah state after playing with chickens which later died in their village, said Zainuddin Wahab, the health ministry's deputy director for disease control.
However, no H5N1 virus has been found among the latest birds that died, he said.
"In the first place, the veterinary department confirmed that there was no bird flu detected among the dead chickens in the village there, so the source of the infection is not H5N1. It's definitely not bird flu," Zainuddin said.
Officials said all of those hospitalised are in stable condition and did not show symptoms of being infected by the H5N1 virus.
Five others aged between 11 months and 35 years, who were hospitalised on Friday are also stable. All live within 300 metres of the Wednesday outbreak Malaysia's first in more than a year on the outskirts of the capital.
Health officials have conducted checks on 476 houses and 3,204 residents of Sungai Buloh and a neighbouring village where 60 chickens have died of the H5N1 strain, in central Selangor state. Two young boys, aged 13 and 7, were also hospitalised in southern Malacca state with flu-like symptoms after they had visited relatives in Selangor.
AFP
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