Dr. TanDY
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
Posts: 1345
Location: Selangor, Malaysia
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:36 pm Post subject: News:Sarawak to conduct culling exercise |
|
|
Source: The Star
Thursday December 15, 2005
Sarawak to conduct culling exercise
KUCHING: Sarawak will cull a number of chickens and ducks in a simulation exercise next Tuesday to test the preparedness of relevant agencies for an avian flu outbreak.
The exercise will take place at the Semenggoh Agriculture Station near here and will involve some 100 personnel from the Veterinary Authority, Health Department, police, Armed Forces, Fire and Rescue Department, Public Works Department, Kuching Resident Office and Department of Occupational Safety and Health.
It will be coordinated by the newly formed state Avian Influenza Outbreak Preparedness and Control Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan.
“We have conducted briefings for the relevant agencies to prepare an emergency response in the event of an outbreak.
“On Dec 20, a simulation exercise will be carried out and actual culling of chickens and ducks will be done,” he told newsmen after chairing a committee meeting at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Tuesday.
Dr Chan also stressed that Sarawak was still free of notifiable avian influenza and had banned the import of all poultry and poultry products from flu-infected countries such as China and Indonesia.
The ban also includes pet birds and fighting cocks.
He said the state Veterinary Authority had tested more than 16,000 samples taken from poultry farms, local chickens in border areas, pet shops, wet markets, imported birds, bird’s nests and other poultry products.
“All the samples tested negative for bird flu,” he added. |
|
