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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Tawau monitors live chicken imports amidst bird flu alert


Tawau: The Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry (Dovsai) here has asked the authorities to strictly monitor the entry of any kind of poultry such as chickens, birds and ducks from Sg Nyamuk, Indonesia to the district following the bird flu which has swept the province since July.
Dovsai Assistant Director, Dr Lim Khun Hiong, said the entry of such animals should be stopped immediately to avoid any negative implications.
She said marine police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and other law enforcement agencies should take immediate action to address this issue.
According to her, there are animals such as chickens from abroad brought into this district through Batu-Batu, Sabindo using small boats to be sold to the public.
"We are worried that if the entry of animals from Sg Nyamuk is not checked, the epidemic will spread here too," she said.
Lim added that, so far, they have conducted blood tests on species of birds in 34 villages, including farms since July, August and September as a precaution.
"The results of our tests run so far is negative for three months, while the test for October is still in progress," she said.
Lim said this in a Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) meeting chaired by its President, Datuk Ismail Mayakob, Thursday.   http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=82851