Brunei free of Bird Flu
By Azlan Othman

A woman leaves a poultry market with ducks on her bicycle on January 17, 2004 in Hanoi. AFP

Brunei is free of the Bird Flu, local agriculture experts announced dispelling fears that the sultanate could also be threatened by the outbreak.

The Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources in a statement yesterday said it had taken measures to tighten animal quarantine in an effort to prevent a possible spread of the disease in the country.

The Department re-assured the public not to get alarmed about safety standards in consuming locally sold chicken meat as Brunei has banned all imports from the affected countries. Measures to prohibit import of chicken meat, eggs and related species irrespective of the items being alive or processed have been taken to protect the interests of Brunei consumers, the statement said.

Bird flu is also known as "Avian Influenza", and "chicken flu".

Efforts to monitor the disease status will also continue until the situation improves. The Department will step up control measures to prevent the spread of the disease in farms throughout the country, as well.

The public is also urged to cooperate with the authorities by not bringing in animals or their produce into the country without permission from the authorities.

As a precautionary measure the public especially poultry farmers and bird keepers are advised to observe personal hygiene, farm sanitation and cleanliness of the surrounding farm areas.

Meanwhile AFP reports from Singapore quoting health officials of that country said yesterday the inspection and testing of all poultry imports have been stepped up, while workers in slaughterhouses and farms have been urged to be vaccinated against the flu.

No vaccine exists yet against the bird flu sweeping through South Korea, Vietnam and Japan, but getting vaccinated against human influenza could prevent workers from being infected by both bugs at the same time.

The World Health Organization meanwhile confirmed Saturday that a fourth person had died from bird flu in Vietnam and warned that a growing number of people were falling sick with respiratory illnesses.

The UN health agency said more people had been referred to two hospitals in Hanoi, raising fears that if they test positive for the virus it could wreak havoc on Vietnam's predominantly rural population.

The outbreak, which comes on top of a re-emergence of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in southern China, has sparked an Asia-wide health scare.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin