PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has never imported any live animals or associated products from Wuhan, China, which is now seeing the emergence of a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus strain, said the Veterinary Services Department (VSD). “We have never imported live animals, meat or animal products from Wuhan, ” he said yesterday when asked to comment on the latest development in China after its health authorities confirmed that the new coronavirus originated from wildlife. China’s disease control and prevention centre chief, Gao Fu, was quoted in the media as saying that the wild animals were illegally sold at a seafood market in Wuhan. WHO had stated that the novel CoV strain could also be of zoonotic (animal) origin. The Japanese Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry recently confirmed that a patient, who had travelled to Wuhan, had tested positive for the new CoV.

Source: The Star January 22, 2020 22:52 UTC