KOTA KINABALU: The state government gave its assurance that villagers affected by the killing of their poultry to contain the spread of bird flu will be compensated.
State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Junz Wong said an operations room has been set up to discuss and record data of how many villagers in Tuaran had their chickens and other poultry culled.
"It's a different story for the (two) farms affected, but it was unfortunate for the villagers and we will pay them, " he told reporters at the sidelines of the state assembly sitting here.
It was previously reported that 29,990 chickens have been culled on two farms at Kampung Kauluan in Tuaran by August 7, since a sample tested positive was found at ground zero there a few days earlier.
Some 3,500 eggs were also destroyed.
Some 1,150 chicken, geese, ducks and birds owned by villagers from five villages (Kampung Tambalaung, Kg Dang Sangai, Kg Bukit Giling, Kg Telibong and Kg Kauluan) were culled, and 485 chicken and duck eggs were destroyed.
Clarifying that Kampung Telibong which is within five kilometre radius of surveillance area was found with positive samples three days ago, he said they have conducted ongoing operations of culling poultry there within a 1km radius.
"This time there are no farms involved just villagers, we have yet to estimate how many poultry will be culled (within the 1km radius of Kg Telibong), " he explained.
On a report that Kampung Loputung which is also within the surveillance area that also tested positive, Wong said they are awaiting sampling results.
"So I would like to remind that there are no such thing as the second or third outbreak if its within the 5km radius as this has always been within our surveillance," he added.
On a question if swiftlet farms are affected by bird flu, he said there was no such report so far but urged any swiftlet farm operators or poultry farm owners to inform if there are any irregular deaths.
So far, there are no human transmission cases reported.