Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

AVA evaluating M'sian disease control measures before lifting poultry ban

Date: 22 June 2006

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (Singapore) will evaluate the bird flu situation in Malaysia before lifting its ban on Malaysian poultry imports.

AVA says its officers visited Perak and Selangor recently to study the surveillance and biosecurity systems put in place by the Malaysian Department of Veterinary Services to keep out bird flu.

It is evaluating the disease prevention and control measures implemented by the Malaysian authorities and will lift the poultry ban if the control measures are satisfactory.

An AVA spokesman said this in response to a Malaysian news report which stated that Malaysian poultry is free from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.

The report also said that Malaysia's Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Muhyiddin Yassin had informed the Singapore authorities of this, saying they can start importing Malaysian poultry again.

Malaysia has culled about 58,000 fowls and destroyed more than 8,000 eggs in five affected zones.

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 12:08 am Post subject:

Another similar story:

Malaysia declares itself free of bird flu

Date: Thursday June 22

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia declared itself free of bird flu on Thursday and asked Singapore to lift restrictions on imports of Malaysian chickens and ducks.
Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the potentially deadly H5N1 strain had not been detected since March.

"We have contacted the Singapore authorities and informed them that they can start importing again," Muhyiddin was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.

Neighbouring Singapore, by far the biggest offshore buyer of Malaysian poultry, has banned imports from the affected states of central Selangor and northern Perak but still buys from southern states. Its bans have mainly hurt duck exports from Perak state.

"We are still evaluating it," a spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore said when asked if the country would now lift its import restrictions.

Malaysia has slaughtered tens of thousands of birds since the latest outbreak on March 21 when several chickens tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

Malaysia has reported no cases of human infection, though H5N1 has killed 130 people since 2003, mostly in Asia.

This is the second time Malaysia has declared itself free of bird flu. It did so in January 2005, only for the disease to re-appear a year later.

The agriculture minister said Malaysia was taking no chances of another outbreak and had itself banned the import of poultry and eggs from countries still affected by bird flu.

"All chickens, ducks, birds, eggs and their products brought into the country will be confiscated and destroyed," he said.