Malaysian Sailors Get Tests for Bird Flu
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(1)
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Malaysian Sailors Get Tests for Bird Flu

Friday September 24, 2004 7:54am

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Five Malaysian sailors underwent tests for bird flu on Friday, the first suspected cases beyond the borders of the country's five-week-old outbreak.

The sailors were hospitalized in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah state on the tip of Borneo island, said Ramlee Rahmat, director of disease control at Malaysia's Health Ministry. Results were expected at the earliest on Monday.

The navy personnel, said to be recovering, fell ill with flu-like symptoms after coming across dead swallows on Layang-Layang island, part of the disputed Spratlys group.

The Spratlys lie more than 600 miles west of the northern state of Kelantan, which reported its first case of bird flu on Aug. 17. The entire state was placed under quarantine last week after the disease jumped outside a six-mile restricted area.

Dead swallows have been recovered from the island and were also being tested, said Hawari Hussein, director of the Veterinary Department.


http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0904/175387.html

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(2) Friday September 24, 5:44 PM
Five Malaysian sailors hospitalized in first possible bird flu cases outside northern state
Malaysia checked five sailors for bird flu on Friday in the first possible cases outside a northern state where an outbreak erupted five weeks ago.

The sailors already were showing signs of recovering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah state on the tip of Borneo island, said Ramlee Rahmat, director of disease control at Malaysia's Health Ministry.

The navy personnel fell ill with flu-like symptoms after coming across dead swallows on Layang-Layang island, part of the disputed Spratlys group. They were hospitalized under observation, Ramlee said.

Test results on the sailors were unlikely before at least Monday.

Remains of the swallows were recovered from the island and also were being tested, said Hawari Hussein, director of the Veterinary Department.

Though it was unknown where the birds came from, Malaysia has been dreading the spread of the deadly H5N1 flu strain since the first case was found Aug. 17 in a village in the northern peninsular state of Kelantan.

The entire state was placed under quarantine last week after the disease jumped outside an initial 10-kilometer (six-mile) restricted area. The disease came from fighting cocks smuggled from nearby Thailand.

The Spratlys, which are claimed in whole or part by six nations, lie more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) west of Kelantan.

The World Health Organization says that migratory birds are spreading the disease and believe it is entrenched in parts of Asia after first appearing this year.

No humans have been infected so far in Malaysia, but H5N1 has killed at least 28 people in Thailand and Vietnam.

Veterinary workers have culled more than 7,000 chickens, ducks and pet birds in Kelantan to stop the spread of the disease, touching off a debate in the deeply conservative state over whether the practice is Islamic.

Kelantan Chief Minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat said Thursday that the cull _ in which birds are stuffed into plastic bags and gassed _ was as humane as possible but should be done out of public view to avoid upsetting people.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040924/ap/d859uoug0.html

禽流感　与　南沙群岛
新加坡９月２４日第８频道１０点新闻报道；马来西亚沙巴州５名海军人员怀疑感染禽流感病毒，已被送入医院检查。　据称这５位海军人员怀疑是在"巡逻"南沙群岛时接触到死麻雀后出现疑似症状。检查结果还有待证实。

大家看看这个新闻，说明了什么？　不管那５个马来西亚海军有没有患上禽流感，大家都听清了他们是去"巡逻"南沙群岛了。为什么我们的海军不去巡逻我们的海域？时间很紧迫了，南海周边的各国都在加紧抢占我国南海海域，并且通过各种手段进行宣传，试图造成事实占领，我们一定要抓紧时间，早日收复南海啊。