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NewsAsia 29 Oct 05 Singapore remains free from bird flu, dead mynahs found poisoned: AVA By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia SINGAPORE : Singapore remains free from the bird flu virus, says the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), after a post-mortem on some dead mynahs found on Friday showed they had died of poisoning. But some residents say that culling should be taken as a preventive measure since crows and mynahs can be carriers of bird flu. Twelve dead birds found scattered across a carpark in Jurong West Street 41 caused concern among residents there. Bobby Ang, a resident and hawker at Jurong West, said: "Now bird flu has spread all over the world, so we are concerned about the dead birds found here." They called the National Environment Agency, which then sent officers to pick up the carcasses. These were sent to the AVA's laboratories for tests. K. Madhavan, Head of Animal Centre for Welfare Control at AVA, said: "The pathologists worked throughout the night and has determined that the birds are free from avian flu. They have detected it to have been poisoned. We will make further investigations as to the type of poison." But research has shown that mynahs and crows can be carriers of the avian flu virus which is usually found in migratory birds. In light of this, some residents there say culling should be carried out as a preventive measure. Ravin Ragupathi, a resident of Jurong West, said: "To prevent avian flu I think we need to take all measures necessary and also mynahs and crows, especially crows. They are a nuisance to passers-by and the general public. I think culling would be good for two reasons - to prevent the spread of avian flu and to prevent nuisance to the public." But there are also some who feel such measures may be too extreme. Jeffrey Tan, a resident of Jurong West, said: "I'm glad and feel relieved that the birds are not having bird flu. Culling the birds are not the proper way to prevent the bird flu because it is cruel to animals." Singapore is home to thousands of migratory birds, with the northern tip of the island a thriving sanctuary for birds migrating each year from Siberia and China to Australia and New Zealand, and back again. For now, the government is monitoring the bird flu situation and the AVA has an ongoing surveillance programme to test for avian flu in wild birds at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. And if the outbreak worsens and human-to-human transmission occurs overseas or in Singapore, precautions taken during SARS such as daily temperature screening in schools and monitoring at airports would be taken. A deadly strain of the bird flu virus, the H5N1, has killed more than 60 people in Asia since late 2003. - CNA/de links Related articles on Global issues: Bird Flu |
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