Two outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian-flu strain have been detected in birds in Malaysia's northern Perak state, news reports said Friday, according to DPA. Agriculture Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that one of the outbreaks of of H5N1, which has also been deadly in humans, was detected at the Ecopark in Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, a tourist attraction that houses 249 birds in an enclosed area. "As a routine surveillance, we sent five faecal samples of birds to the Veterinary Research Institute for testing on March 9," Muhyiddin was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper. "The presence of the virus was confirmed." Testing confirmed the other cases Wednesday in the village Kampung Changkat Tualang, about 100 kilometres from the Ecopark, after villagers on March 11 reported the deaths of nine chickens to authorities, Muhyiddin said. The confirmation prompted Singapore, which imports 93 per cent of the ducks from Malaysia, to immediately suspend imports of poultry from Perak state. Muhyiddin said Health Ministry staff will do checks for bird flu on residents in the affected areas in Malaysia, which has yet to report any human cases of bird flu, which has killed more than 100 people in eight countries. Veterinary staff have begun culling all chickens and other birds within one kilometre of the affected areas, the minister said. More than 38,000 chickens and ducks are targeted for culling, his ministry added. Muhyiddin also urged the public not to move any chicken or fowl out of the two affected areas.
