Myanmar - H5N1 - 5 townships

[sharon sanders]

Myanmar confirms bird flu outbreak in five townships in Yangon <HR width="100%">27/3/2007 15:54

The Myanmar livestock authorities have confirmed that five townships in Yangon have been hit by H5N1 outbreak, according to a statement of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD) released today.
The five townships are Mayangon, Hlaingtharya, North Okkalapa, Mingaladon and Hmawby.

Poultry, quails and pheasants of the affected farms together with those from possibly affected farms and from farms that are contiguous with the affected farms were culled and necessary preventive measures are being taken, the statement said.

Although H5N1 strain of bird flu was found at some poultry farms in the five townships, the dead bodies of some chickens and geese from several other townships in Yangon and Bago divisions were not found to be infected with bird flu, it said. Of the 324 crows, pigeons and sparrows, doves, which died during the period since the end of February, only six crows were suspicious of being infected with the avian influenza. The others died of heat stroke, chronic bronchitis and small pox.
The authorities have warned breeders and those engaged in poultry marketing to use new farm equipment instead of the old ones and to ensure that crows do not enter poultry farms.

Suspicious avian influenza was first detected on February 27 by Myanmar in a small private poultry farm in northwestern Yangon's suburban township of Mayangon.
In the outbreak, 1,863 fowls died of the virus with 37,883 culled, according to earlier statement of the LBVD.

Meanwhile, two townships, Mayangon and the Hlaingtharya, have been further confirmed of the bird flu outbreak by experts of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UNAID.

The FAO agreed on March 10 to provide immediate technical assistance to strengthen emergency preparedness for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The assistance also includes equipment worth of US$600,000 donated by the USAID to be used in preventive measures against the disease.
According to the Myanmar authorities, no human cases have so far been detected with bird flu virus in Yangon.

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/e...ai2714769.html

[Niko]

Re: Myanmar - H5N1 - 5 townships

Myanmar reports new bird flu outbreak<!-- /headline --><!-- subhead --><!-- /subhead --><!-- byline --> The Associated Press
April 2, 2007

YANGON, Myanmar: Myanmar reported a new outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on Monday, the country's fifth bout with the deadly virus strain in as many weeks.

About 1,000 chickens died at a poultry farm in the town of Htaukkyant, north of Yangon, between Wednesday and Friday of last week, said Than Hla, the Livestock Ministry's director of disease control.

"Laboratory tests confirmed the H5N1 virus in some of the nearly 1,000 chickens that died," he said. He did not specify the number of birds that tested positive for the disease.

It was the fifth reported outbreak since Feb. 28, all in areas outside of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar. Since then, authorities have slaughtered nearly 60,000 chickens and other birds, Than Hla said.

The recent outbreak was believed to have spread through the sale and transport of poultry in the area, the New Light of Myanmar reported Monday.

More than 6,000 chickens at farms near the outbreak have been killed as a precaution, the newspaper reported.

Earlier this month, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization called for more stringent measures to control the movement of poultry, poultry products and chicken feed to contain the spread of H5N1 in Myanmar.
Myanmar has not reported any human infections from H5N1.

The disease has killed at least 170 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/02/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-Bird-Flu.php