KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (AFP) - Malaysia has declared itself free of bird flu, which killed 32 people in Asia last year, but will maintain a ban on poultry imports from affected countries as a preventative measure, it was reported Thursday.
Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Wednesday that no new cases of bird flu had been reported since November 22 last year, meaning the country could declare itself free of the virus, the Bernama news agency said.
"As of (Wednesday), Malaysia is free of the bird flu. However, the threat is still high as neighbouring countries are still grappling with the disease," he said.
The import of chicken, ducks and eggs from Thailand and other affected countries would remain in place and the government would continue its monitoring and enforcement activities against the virus, he said.
Malaysia's first case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which killed 32 people in Thailand and Vietnam last year, was detected in a Kelantan village in August.
There has been no known transmission of the virus to humans in Malaysia.
The country has also lifted a ban on the movement of fowls in the northeastern Kelantan state bordering Thailand, the minister said.
But the movement of fighting cocks from Kelantan was still prohibited and poultry exports from the state would require permits from the veterinary department.
Officials say the disease was first brought into Malaysia by fighting cocks that had been exposed to the virus in Thailand, and that new outbreaks were caused by the continued smuggling of chicken meat.
01/06/2005 04:49 GMT - AFP