Malaysia does not restrict travelers from bird flu-infected countries: official

Malaysia does not restrict or bar travelers from countries that have bird flu from visiting Malaysia, a Malaysia official said on Monday.

The Malaysian Health Ministry also does not restrict Malaysians from visiting those countries affected by bird flu, said Ismail Merican, a health official from the ministry.

Yet, his ministry advised Malaysians not to visit farms confirmed to have H5N1 avian influenza or wet markets there, he told reporters at Putrajaya, administrative center of Malaysia.

Ismail also advised anyone, who had contact with poultry or had just returned from bird flu-affected countries with symptoms like fever, cough and sore throat, to seek early treatment.

Malaysia's national news agency Bernama Monday said that eight cases of H5N1 in humans were reported -- six in Indonesia and one each in Egypt and Nigeria.

Malaysia was declared free from H5N1 in June last year. The country had not reported any related new cases since then.

Source: Xinhua