Free vaccination for poultry workers
By Azrol Azmi

Some of the participants from various local companies at the briefing.

Prevention is better than cure. This is the main message delivered by the government as the bird flu has hit Asian nations hard. Though there are no reports of the lethal virus in the nation the government has taken some measures to prevent the epidemic from crossing the border.

Yesterday a briefing on the avian flu was held at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Two government officers from the Agricultural Department, Abd Latif Hj Sani, Acting Assistant Director of Agriculture and Pg Dr Hj Hishamuddin from the Disease Control Division at the Ministry of Health Services were invited to brief the invitees about the disease. Seventy-three local companies were invited to attend the briefing and forty-five showed up.

As a preventive measure taken by the Department of Health Services, poultry workers and other persons who are at high risk of exposure to the virus are to be vaccinated that is effective against the current human influenza strains.

The poultry farmers should contact the Ministry of Health for a free vaccination.

The ban on import of chicken products from the affected countries may have lifted business spirit among local entrepreneurs especially the poultry farmers as they see an increase in demand for their products by the local consumers.

While the public has been advised to follow hygienic practises and to keep the environment clean, poultry farmers were also given the same advice yesterday but on a much stricter basis.

At the briefing, Pg Dr. Hj Hishammuddin Pg DP Hj Badaruddin from the Disease Control Division recommended the poultry workers to wash their hands before and after work followed by a clean shower. The use of a mask, apron and a disposable gloves are also recommended.

So far no vaccine has been produced specifically for H5N1 virus. Avian flu is caused by this strain of virus. There are two types of avian flu, low pathogenic and high pathogenic.

The symptoms are fever, sore throat, flu, cough, eye infection and difficulties in breathing. It can be passed on to humans through direct contact with the infected birds.

The virus gets destroyed if the meat of the infected bird is cooked at temperatures above 70 degree Celsius.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin