QUOTE(Ana.kepong @ Aug 4 2008, 03:00 PM)
Read this article from The Star today and wish to share with all farmers.
However, guess this kind of complain will always happen since more and more BHs are now in town or housing area and i guess one day it will become a big issue later.
The recent funny complains which I heard from Southern and Melaka is some residents start to blame "Chikungunya" virus is actually cause by those swiftlet house in town and housing area (actually it is not as this virus was found since 1960 and is a viral illness that is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes). So, don't expect all residents will just listen to the above fact.
So, newbie to think if your BH to be in town or you may plan elsewhere
Monday August 4, 2008
Isolate swiftlet farms
I NOTE with concern the letter “Unfair to swiflet farms” (The Star, July 31).
When swiftlet farms were started, did the farmers or relevant authorities that came up with the guidelines think of the welfare and health of the public around these farms?
When we mention avian flu, people start to panic because its effect is dramatic.
When cryptococcosis is mentioned, the general public doesn’t know what it is, or what causes it.
In the medical field, it is known that this infection is acquired by inhalation of the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans which is found in bird droppings.
The more bird farms we have, the greater the risk of dispersing such fungi into the air, and thus the greater the health risk to the public.
Manifestation of symptoms from infection may be slow and unnoticed because, when in the lungs, the infection may remain localised or heal.
However, infection may also disseminate.
Upon dissemination, lesions may form in any part of the body but involvement of the central nervous system is the most common, and the usual cause of death.
Generalised meningoencephalitis occurs more frequently than localised swelling in the brain or spinal cord.
Solitary localised lesions may develop in the skin and less commonly in the bones and other organs.
I am not against swiftlet farming but am concerned that these farms are harmful to the health of the people who operate their businesses alongside them, and also to the public who use these services in the commercial areas.
The health of the country is monitored by the Health Ministry.
But so far, the ministry has been silent on this issue.
Can the ministry assure us that the air coming out from these farms are free from fungi?
If not, action should be taken to phase out these farms not only from residential areas but also from commercial areas as well.
By all means have these farms but confine them to a locale away from residential and commercial areas.
Dr GEOFFREY TANG,
Alor Star.
Dr. Tang.
Thank you for the concern and we, the BH ranchers are the first to get it if there is such fungus. So, we are surely have put our faith in this industry to enter the door to death. We need to clean up and need to do the repair and maintenance and if any such incident shall happen, we shall be the first to get it, right? Dr. Tang. We are our trust in the BHs and because a friend and his brothers grown up next to a room full with swiftlets for 15 years ago and none of then is sick till this day. Mind you and it was an old wooden house.
My two sons are also Doctors and they help me to clean the BH and to havest the nests, and they have no complaint.......maybe, God is with us.
I wear no mask but my sons do when we enter the BH as I want to be sure that bird shit is safe or otherwise I shall pay for my sin if anyone shall get it, then it shall be me first.
Your advice is appreciated and from a layman point (my Point), every air we take in contain some form of fungus or smell as there is not polution free air......nothing is free. I am not all for BH, then it is a new industry for us to make a decent living and with prices going up and up.....and what type of industry or buz has no effect on human, smokers still smoke and there are law on it but has anyone taken to court on it.......I don't smoke but then I entertain more then 20 smoking customers each day. Do I tell them, throw away your C or butt off. Sometime in life, we give and take, like this industry, good income and good for the eco system.....not much forest has to be cleared to make way and billion of cash can be generated. A compromising situation. Reason for not building BH in estate or land far away from human........the danger of being attacked by robbers and uncontrollable stealing by thieves. Preventing and protecting swiftlets from harm. And the biggest reason is that swiftlets choose their own home. One good suggest is to move the town away and then you have have a new BirdFree township paid with the money generated by this new industry.
Then, how can you take people for granted? Yes, then what about HandPhone? isn's it bad? Sitting next to another person using HP can be damaging too, won't you think so? Telecomunication towers, that's really dangerous......why they are still there?
Thank you again for your kind concerns and that all above comments are of my own humble opinions. Any rude or unpleasant words used are not intentionally.
My humble appoligies again.
Calvin
Aug 4 2008, 12:08 AM
Quote
A good place to build BH here i guess 
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