Malaysian Swallows Test Negative for Flu 25-09-2004

Sat, Sep 25, 2004
By PAULINE JASUDASON, Associated Press Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Dead swallows discovered on an island in the disputed Spratly chain tested negative for bird flu Saturday, Malaysian authorities said, easing fears that the disease was spreading beyond a quarantined northern state.



Five Malaysian navy sailors placed under hospital observation after coming in contact with the birds on Layang-Layang island were making rapid recoveries, officials said. Only one remained ill, probably from a pre-existing respiratory infection, they said.


"No avian influenza virus has been discovered in the samples" from the birds, Hawari Hussin, director-general of the Veterinary Department, told The Associated Press.


A veterinary team was being sent to the island Sunday to take new samples from swallows because the tests may not be fully reliable since there was no accurate data on when the birds died, officials told the national news agency Bernama.


A navy patrol discovered dead swallows on Layang-Layang island on Friday. The 40 crewmen were quarantined aboard ship until the test results on the birds were completed, Bernama reported.


The results eased fears that the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain was spreading beyond the northern peninsular state of Kelantan, where it first appeared in Malaysia five weeks ago in fighting cocks smuggled from Thailand.


The island is more than 900 miles from Kelantan and is closer to Vietnam. The Spratlys, believed to be rich in oil, are claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan.


The H5N1 strain has killed at least 28 people in Vietnam and Thailand this year. Some 100 million chickens, ducks and other fowl have been culled to stop it from spreading.


The World Health Organization (news - web sites) believes migratory birds like swallows are one of the main agents spreading the disease, which is fast becoming entrenched in parts of Asia.


"This is something we cannot control," said Ramlee Rahmat, director-general of disease control at Malaysia's Health Ministry.


In Kelantan, culling of poultry began immediately after a new infection was discovered Saturday among ducks in a village near Malaysia's first case.


Malaysia has hospitalized more than a dozen people in recent weeks who showed flu-like symptoms. All tested negative.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040925/ap_on_re_as/malaysia_bird_flu_1