KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities will take all preventive measures to contain the H5N1 outbreak in northern Kelantan after three cases involving chickens were recorded in one village.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam today confirmed that there were no reports of humans having been infected by the virus.
"The infections came from (a village in) northern Kelantan and I was informed that... all chickens within a 2km radius are being culled to ensure that the disease does not spread," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.
Dr Subramaniam said the Veterinary Department was checking the source of the outbreak, and whether it could have originated from neighbouring Thailand.
He also advised people handling chickens in nearby areas to take preventive measures to ensure that the virus did not spread to them.
"We will stand by to see if people in that area display flu-like symptoms."
This came after Kelantan took immediate measures, including setting up road blocks, to contain the H5N1 avian flu outbreak after three cases were recorded in one village.
State agriculture committee chairman Datuk Che Abdullah Mat said so far, 170 chickens have been culled at Kampung Pulau Tebu where 15 kampung chickens were found dead recently.