The Health Ministry and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry are closely monitoring any possible threat of Avian influenza outbreak in the country.

Bernama quoted Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek as saying today that the watch was focused at states at the Malaysia-Thai common border like Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah.

This was in the wake of the disease's outbreak in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani which led to the culling of livestock at poultry farms in both Thai provinces.

Chua said this after presenting MS ISO 9001:2000 certification to Kota Bahru Hospital here today.

A World Health Organisation report dated July 8 said that in the last two weeks, avian influenza appears to have re-emerged in poultry in several countries in Asia.

WHO is concerned

"These outbreaks could either be new outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) virus or a continuation of the outbreaks first reported earlier in the year. These events, in addition to two new research reports - about the virus becoming increasingly pathogenic and becoming more widespread in birds in the region - fuel the WHO's concern about the threat the virus poses to human health," the report added.

On another development, Chua called on 124 hospitals in the country to obtain the Malaysian Society For Quality In Health's (MSQH) MS ISO 9000 certificate within the next five years.

Kota Bahru Hospital is the first public hospital in Kelantan to receive the MS ISO 9000 accreditation.