New bird flu cases at two Tuaran villages
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Veterinary Service Department detected the latest bird flu outbreak in two villages in Tuaran.
Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Junz Wong said the bird flu outbreak was detected in Kampung Laya-Laya Tuaran and Kampung Ladang Tenghilan Estate.
“These two areas are confirmed positive with bird flu since Aug 23, but checks by the Veterinary Department found no commercial poultry farms in the affected area.
“There are only chickens reared by the residents,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Following which, he said, culling exercise was conducted within a one-kilometre radius of the areas affected by the bird flu outbreak since Monday.
They included at Desa Sri Taman Jaya, Kampung LayaLaya, Taman Layar Impian, Laya-Laya housing area, crocodile farm, Kampung Hope, Tenghilan, Kampung Ladang Estet, Kampung Linsuk, Kampung Kogosingan and Kampung Tampasak Gamaron, he added.
He advised residents in the affected areas to cooperate with the Veterinary Department in efforts to contain the spread of the disease.
Earlier when met at Sandakan Municipal Council yesterday, Junz advised the public members to remain calm and assured that there was nothing to be worried about as the virus was under control.
“There are no cases of villagers or personnel working at the quarantine areas infected with the virus, so the public members should not be worried. The ministry personnel, DVS personnel and health personnel are still actively controlling the virus since it was first detected (in August),” he added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) started destroying and disposing of chickens on Monday at two new places found positive with Avian Influenza or Bird Flu (H5N1 strain) on August 23 and 24.
Bird flu operation director of Tuaran, Dr Suhaili Lusin said that the two places were Kampung Laya-Laya Tuaran and Kampung Ladang Tenghilan Estate.
He said according to DVS inspection, the villagers were only rearing chickens in the two farms and there was no commercial farm in the area.
He said DVS had started the programme to destroy and dispose of the virus since on Monday until today, which involved one kilometre radius including Desa Sri Taman Jaya Kampung Laya-Laya, Taman Layar Impian, LayaLaya residential area, crocodile farm, and Kampung Hope, while in Tengilan: Kampung Ladang Estate, Kampung Linsuk, Kampung Kogosingan and Kampung Tampasak Gamaron.
Dr Suhaili advised the public, especially residents living in affected areas to cooperate with DVS in the effort to curb bird flu in Tuaran.
Speaking on the first bird flu case in Kg Kauluan early August, Dr Suhaili said bird flu at the area was under control and there was no new case reported within 21 days period.