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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=600 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=44>Title</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>AVA, cullers at the ready in case of a bird flu epidemic </TD></TR><TR><TD width=44></TD><TD width=10></TD><TD width=546></TD></TR><TR><TD width=44>Date</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>05 October 2006 0744 hrs (SST) </TD></TR><TR><TD width=44>URL</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...234017/1/.html </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE borderColor=#cccccc cellSpacing=5 borderColorDark=#cccccc cellPadding=3 width=600 align=center borderColorLight=#cccccc border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>SINGAPORE: About 540 hens were culled Wednesday as part of a bird-flu preparedness exercise conducted by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
Code-named Exercise Gallus 4, yesterday's programme included, for the first time, 50 cullers from outside the AVA, in addition to 30 in-house cullers. A total of 230 personnel from various agencies were involved.
Testing the activation, recall and training of external cullers was necessary, said the AVA's chief executive officer, Dr Chua Sin-Bin, as they will form the second line of defence in a real-life scenario.
He said: "We also want to test out the decontamination process and the staging in our Veterinary Public Heath Centre to make sure the cullers know how to put on the protective equipment to protect themselves and carry out the actual culling exercise."
According to the AVA, there are about two million chickens across five farms in Singapore.
In the event of a bird flu pandemic, the authority aims to cull all the birds within two weeks.
About 400 cullers can be marshalled from waste disposal companies, construction companies, farms and slaughterhouses.
While there were concerns on how well the cullers - some of whom are foreign workers - understand the training and safety procedures, programme manager Melvin Chow said instructional videos were used to overcome the language barrier.
This was helpful for construction worker Haradhan Lal, who is from Tamil Nadu in India.
"After the training was given to me, I can do it, very easy to follow," he said.
Exercise Gallus 4 is the second culling exercise to date, following a similar exercise in February 2004, where 5,000 chickens were culled.
Said Ms Grace Fu, Minister Of State for Ministry of National Development, who observed the proceedings: "At every stage, all our personnel, together with the external cullers, know exactly what to do - so I think we are in a very good position to handle the situation when it arises." - TODAY
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=600 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=44>Title</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>AVA, cullers at the ready in case of a bird flu epidemic </TD></TR><TR><TD width=44></TD><TD width=10></TD><TD width=546></TD></TR><TR><TD width=44>Date</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>05 October 2006 0744 hrs (SST) </TD></TR><TR><TD width=44>URL</TD><TD width=10>:</TD><TD width=546>http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...234017/1/.html </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE borderColor=#cccccc cellSpacing=5 borderColorDark=#cccccc cellPadding=3 width=600 align=center borderColorLight=#cccccc border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>SINGAPORE: About 540 hens were culled Wednesday as part of a bird-flu preparedness exercise conducted by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
Code-named Exercise Gallus 4, yesterday's programme included, for the first time, 50 cullers from outside the AVA, in addition to 30 in-house cullers. A total of 230 personnel from various agencies were involved.
Testing the activation, recall and training of external cullers was necessary, said the AVA's chief executive officer, Dr Chua Sin-Bin, as they will form the second line of defence in a real-life scenario.
He said: "We also want to test out the decontamination process and the staging in our Veterinary Public Heath Centre to make sure the cullers know how to put on the protective equipment to protect themselves and carry out the actual culling exercise."
According to the AVA, there are about two million chickens across five farms in Singapore.
In the event of a bird flu pandemic, the authority aims to cull all the birds within two weeks.
About 400 cullers can be marshalled from waste disposal companies, construction companies, farms and slaughterhouses.
While there were concerns on how well the cullers - some of whom are foreign workers - understand the training and safety procedures, programme manager Melvin Chow said instructional videos were used to overcome the language barrier.
This was helpful for construction worker Haradhan Lal, who is from Tamil Nadu in India.
"After the training was given to me, I can do it, very easy to follow," he said.
Exercise Gallus 4 is the second culling exercise to date, following a similar exercise in February 2004, where 5,000 chickens were culled.
Said Ms Grace Fu, Minister Of State for Ministry of National Development, who observed the proceedings: "At every stage, all our personnel, together with the external cullers, know exactly what to do - so I think we are in a very good position to handle the situation when it arises." - TODAY
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