The bird flu outbreak which has hit four districts in north state of Kelantan seems to be under control with no new cases in the past three days, a veterinary official said Friday.

This indicated that the department's efforts to cull fowl in the eight affected villages had shown positive effects, Kelantan Veterinary Services Department Director Dr Idris Kadir told reporters in Kota Baharu, capital of the state.

"The situation is under control and there are no signs of new cases after the most recent ones in Kampung Kuchelong, Bachok (district), and Kampung Laut Sungai Pinang, Tumpat (district), on Tuesday," he said.

However, he said, veterinary officials were still taking samples from chickens, ducks and birds across the state, He urged the people not to let their livestock run free until the outbreak was confirmed over.

Dr Idris said in one month time since the first case was detected on Aug. 17, 4,663 animals in the eight villages out of some 3 million fowl bred and kept in state had been culled.

The virus of H5N1 strain was first discovered in Baru Pasir Pekan Village, Tumpat District on Aug. 17. On Sept. 3, the virus emerged in Belian Village in the same district before it was detected in six other villages in four districts in the past two weeks. The H5N1 strain has an ability to cause severe disease in humans.

In another development, three suspected patients were quarantined at the Kota Baharu Hospital on Sept. 13 as a precaution. They were having fever and cough, among the early symptoms of bird flu, for several days.

The house-to-house checks have been conducted in the identified villages, covering 10,585 members of 2,287 households in the area,according to the local health authorities.

Source: Xinhua