Malaysia: H5N1: Bird flu spreads to 5 villages in Kota Baru; Cases detected in Pasir Mas

SULAIMAN JAAFAR New Straits Times 14 Mar 17;

KOTA BARU: Avian flu H5N1 which was earlier detected in Kampung Pulau Tebu in Tunjong here has spread to five other villages in the district, Veterinary Services Department director general Datuk Dr Kamaruddin Md Isa said today.

He said the disease had also been confirmed in three villages in Pasir Mas.

The villages​ affected in Kota Baru were Kampung Chabang Tiga Sakit, Kampung Gertak Lembu, Kedai Mulong, Kampung Padang Layang and Kampung Kota.

In Pasir Mas, the areas involved were Kampung Becah Semak, Kampung Tempoyak and Kampung Kedondong.

"The cases in Pasir Mas were not spread from Kampung Pulau Tebu. They happened about the same time," he said.

The Kelantan state government on March 8 had confirmed avian flu cases through samples taken from dead birds in Kampung Pulau Tebu, two days earlier.

State Agriculture, Agro-Biotechnology and Green Technology committee chairman Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi was reported as saying that the state Veterinary Services Department acted immediately by culling 170 birds, including 'kampung' chickens, guinea fowls, geese, ducks, birds, commercial chickens and 100 eggs from the village.

The state government had also set up a task force to eradicate and control the disease in the affected areas.


Kelantan declares 'state disaster' as H5N1 outbreak spreads
SULAIMAN JAAFAR New Straits Times 15 Mar 17;

KOTA BARU: The H5N1 avian flu outbreak in Kelantan has spread to two more districts, Pasir Putih and Bachok besides Kota Baru and Pasir Mas.

State agriculture, agro-based industry and biotechnology committee chairman Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi said the state executive council, which met today, agreed to declare the outbreak as a 'state disaster' under the MKN 20 (National Security Council) Order.

Under the MKN 20 Order, the resources of all relevant departments in the state will used to control the outbreak.

At the moment, only the Veterinary Department is involved in efforts to control the disease.

Abdullah said besides the same three villages in Pasir Mas, 18 villages in the Kota Baru district are now affected by the outbreak.

The new villages involved are Kampung Bukit Merbau in Pasir Putih and Kampung Dusun Durian in Bachok.

"A total of 24,768 birds have been culled up to date," he said.