KUCHING: The authorities will continue to monitor the H5N1 influenza (bird flu) situation to keep it under control.
Sarawak Health Department deputy director Dr Rosemawati Ariffin said the influenza surveillance could detect not only H5N1, but also other influenza viruses.
“H5N1 or bird flu does not only exist in Malaysia, but also in other countries across Asia and the world.
“So as soon as we are able to detect the virus, we will immediately inform the World Health Organisation (WHO) for action to be taken,” she said told reporters today during a press conference on the upcoming 24th Asia-Australasian Conference of Radiological Technologists (AACRT) 2023 and the 7th Southeast Asian Conference of Radiographers (SEARC) at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Dr Rosemawati said the Ministry of Health (MoH) will take action according to the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP) which was established in 2005 before the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in 2009.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security should also play the role in curbing the virus because the virus involves bird animals such as chicken and duck, she said.
For the record, the WHO has urged the international community to heightened vigilance after two confirmed cases of human cases of H5N1 bird flu in Cambodia were detected.
