Malaysia reports 5 Suspect Humans

[DB]

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/02/20/1388714.htm

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 20_(Kyodo) _ The deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus has been detected in chickens in Malaysia, the government said Monday.

Agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed in a statement that 40 chickens had recently died of H5N1-strain bird flu in a village in Selangor state, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

"Tests conducted at the veterinary laboratory and at the livestock research institute confirm the death of the free-range chickens was caused by H5N1 avian influenza virus," he said.

But he assured the public not to worry unnecessarily as the case was an isolated one and the chickens in the area have already been culled and a quarantine imposed.

The last cases of poultry being infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu were reported in November 2004. The government declared the country free of bird flu in January 2005.

Singapore said Monday night it has suspended the import of poultry and eggs from Selangor state with immediate effect as a precautionary measure. <!--TMC_CONTENT_BODY_U2_END-->

[Bruce]

Re: Bird flu detected in Malaysian state

But Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said it was an isolated case and that the public need not worry as no human was affected. "Tests conducted confirmed the death of the free range chickens was caused by H5N1 avian influenza virus," he said in a statement issued through state news agency Bernama.
Malaysia on Monday reported its first case of H5N1 bird flu since November 2004, with the death of 40 chickens in central Selangor state last week.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KLR319530.htm

[Theresa42]

Malaysia reports fresh H5N1 bird flu case

Malaysia reports fresh H5N1 bird flu case
20 Feb 2006 15:24:00 GMT
Source: Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Monday reported its first case of H5N1 bird flu since November 2004, with the death of 40 chickens in central Selangor state last week.

But Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said it was an isolated case and that the public need not worry as no human was affected.

"Tests conducted confirmed the death of the free range chickens was caused by H5N1 avian influenza virus," he said in a statement issued through state news agency Bernama.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KLR319530.htm

[Sally Furniss]

Malaysia tightens bird flu inspection

[February 24, 2006]

Malaysia tightens bird flu inspection

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 24_(Kyodo) _ Malaysia stepped up house-to-house inspection for stray or concealed poultry and other birds Friday, while fear of bird flu transmission to humans eased as patients showing symptoms tested negative for deadly H5N1 viral strain.
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said that out of 10 people quarantined as possible bird flu cases, eight have so far tested negative for the virus, while the results on the remaining two, a 42-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl, were still pending.

The government said Monday that the H5N1 virus has been detected in 40 chickens found dead last week, but the country has yet to record any cases of human transmission.
Chua said health officials have combed through 505 houses, screening over 2,000 residents living within a 300-meter radius of the infection site, Kampung Pasir Wardibern, a low-income housing estate at the fringe of the city center.

The 10 people who were hospitalized with flu-like symptoms -- cough, fever and sore throat -- came from the affected area.

Mustapa Abdul Jalil, acting director general of the veterinary services department at the agriculture ministry, said more manpower has been mobilized for the culling operation within a 1-kilometer radius of Kampung Pasir Wardibern.

The department has added 172 people for surveillance tasks in a 10-kilometer zone that also covers the Petronas Twin Towers, once the world's tallest buildings.

Since Monday, it has killed 2,451 chickens, ducks and other birds and destroyed 516 eggs.

"There is no new infection detected," he said.

The H5N1 virus first spread to Malaysia in 2004 in the northeastern state of Kelantan.

It has killed at least 92 people since late 2003 in seven countries -- Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam and Turkey, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-malaysia-tightens-bird-flu-inspection-/2006/02/24/1403966.htm

[Clytie]

Malaysia: Children discharged after testing negative for bird flu virus

Saturday February 25, 2006


Children discharged after testing negative for bird flu virus
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...596&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The two children admitted to hospital for suspected bird flu earlier in the week were discharged yesterday morning after they tested negative for the H5N1 avian flu virus, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Another two were still warded for observation, he said, adding that all necessary samples had been taken from the 42-year-old man and 10-year-old girl, both from villages in Setapak where chickens had died of the virus.

Dr Chua said all health, veterinary and City Hall officers involved in the operation to prevent bird flu from spreading had also tested negative for the virus.

The first phase of surveillance and monitoring of a 300m radius of the affected area including interviewing 2,065 residents in 505 houses had been completed, he said.
He added that the second phase started yesterday.

“During the interviews, residents were also educated on the bird flu virus and its symptoms as well as actions they would need to take,” he told reporters at the ministry here yesterday.

Dr Chua also said that stockpiling of the Tamiflu vaccine was going on and that the ministry had yet to stock up for the targeted 5% of the population.

Health Ministry disease control division director Dr Ramlee Rahmat, who was present at the press conference, said the active “table top” exercise will begin next week.

The exercise, he said, would get state-level ministry officers in various divisions such as health, education and environment to be better prepared in managing crucial scenarios, including the dissemination of information and having an action plan.

At a separate press conference, Veterinary Services Department acting director-general Datuk Dr Mustapa Jalil said the culling of birds within a one kilometre radius of the affected area was expected to be completed by tomorrow.

“Our earlier survey estimated that only about 150 birds were within this area but later reports from various veterinary departments showed that there were more,” he added.

To date, 2,227 chickens, 122 ducks and 102 birds of various species had been culled, he said, adding that 516 eggs were also destroyed.

[DB]

Malaysia: Dead birds scare at varsity

http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News...cle/index_html

Dead birds scare at varsity
KOH JING JEH and LIM LIU TZE
PETALING JAYA, Feb 25:

Everyone at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) were shocked when four birds fell from the sky and died at their Petaling Jaya campus yesterday.
Many thought the birds could have been affected by the H5N1 bird flu virus that killed several chickens in Setapak and Gombak last week.

A lecturer, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of the two who discovered the dead birds.

“I was heading back to campus after having lunch with a friend. Suddenly, I heard flapping sounds and the next thing I knew, these birds fell out of the sky. Three of them died on the spot while another was gasping for air.

“We didn’t immediately think about the bird flu virus. We then informed the university’s administration department and the security personnel.”

UNFAZED: Some students walking past the dead birds

Utar officials declined to comment on the matter.

Janess Ong, a final year public relations student said the incident was scary.

“I was attending a lecture when it happened. All the students suddenly dashed to the window to find out what had happened as we heard a commotion outside.”

The 24-year-old said the spate of bird deaths had prompted her to take precautions such as abstaining from eating chicken and be more alert to the disease’s symptoms.

The varsity’s aministration informed the Veterinary Services Department but no team was sent to investigate.

The department’s acting director-general, Datuk Dr Mustapa Abdul Jalil, said there was nothing to worry about.

“The death of a few birds at the same time is common. It is different if a flock of birds died at the same time.

“If that happens, we will send a team immediately to investigate if it is caused by the bird flu virus.”

He said Utar’s Section 13/6 campus, where the birds were found, is more than 10km from Setapak and Gombak, which are the hotspots of the bird flu outbreak.

“The possibility of the area being infected is low,” he said.

“However, I will inform the Shah Alam Veterinary Department to look into the matter.”

[DB]

Re: Malaysia: Dead birds scare at varsity

Birds falling dead out of the sky is NOT NORMAL.

[Goju]

Re: Malaysia: Dead birds scare at varsity

It's not? Welcome to 2006

[peterpan]

Malaysia reports 5 Suspect Humans

Five More Admitted To HKL For H5N1 Tests - Ismail Merican
this is from bernama but i can't copy the URL

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Another five people, including three girls, living around the bird flu-infected area of Jalan Genting Klang were admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital Friday night for examination.

The girls, aged 4, 13 and 14, and two adults, a 44-year-old man, and a 40-year-old woman, were admitted after they spotted symptoms of the deadly H5N1 virus infection -- fever, cough and flu.

Health Services Director-General Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said they were warded in stages from 9pm last night for further examination.

He said they were now awaiting test results from the Institute for Medical Research (IMR).

"So far this morning, five cases are still in the ward. All of them are stable, only they're awaiting test results from the IMR," he told a press conference after opening the FDI-MDA scientific exhibition here Saturday.

Dr Ismail said the results would be known today.

"Most probably all of them will be discharged if the results showed negative," he said.

He said all test results of suspected cases admitted to HKL so far were negative -- they are not infected by the H5N1 avian influenza virus and were allowed to return home.

"Actually, yesterday, before 6pm, I was told there are no cases in HKL, only at 9pm, there were two cases at first and later three came in," he said.

Dr Ismail said the health authorities were carrying out house-to-house screening at Genting Klang area and anyone found to have H5N1 symptoms -- fever, cough and flu -- would be admitted to hospital for further examination.

Till today, the bird flu is only detected in poultry, he added.

[emmysue]

2 student deaths in Malaysia

Two Students Die Of Suspected Typhoid Fever In Kelantan

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=183897

KOTA BAHARU, March 4 (Bernama) -- Two girl students of the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Kuala Krai near here have died, the cause of which has yet to be ascertained but is suspected to be typhoid fever.

Siti Nazirah Said of Kampung Titian Baru in Marang, Terengganu, died on Feb 4 while Amni Izzati Abdul Ghani, also 14, of Kampung Bukit Kuang II in Kemaman, Terengganu, died last Thursday.

More than 500 students from Kelantan were allowed to return to their homes last Thursday after the death of the second student, a spokesman of the college said Saturday, adding that more than 100 students from Terengganu and Pahang remained at the college pending the school holidays which begin next Friday.

The spokesman said four students were admitted to hospital -- two here and one each in Pasir Mas and Kuala Krai -- and were discharged after treatment.

Kelantan Director of Health Services Datuk Dr Ahmad Razin Ahmad Maher, when contacted, declined to say whether the students had died of typhoid or dengue fever.

"I will call a press conference tomorrow. I have not checked the report but the department did not order the closure of the college," he said.

Meanwhile, the families of the dead students have expressed disappointment as to why the actual cause of their deaths had not been disclosed to them.

They claimed that the hospital informed them that the cause of the deaths had yet to be determined.

Ghani Sulong, father of Amni Izzati, said he hoped that the authorities of the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital would give them the information immediately and not cover up the matter if her daughter's death was due to a dangerous disease.

"It is impossible for the hospital not to know the cause (of her death). If it is a dangerous disease, they must let the people know. I can't understand how there can be two sudden deaths in the college. They should also take immediate action. If the college has to be closed, they must do that," he said when contacted at his home in Kuala Terengganu.

Student Siti Nazirah's mother, Hatijah Muda, 52, when met at her home in Marang, said the hospital had cited her daughter's death as due to dengue haemorrhagic fever or lung infection.