Myanmar reports new bird flu outbreak in private farm north of Yangon
Canadian Press
Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Article tools
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar has detected the H5N1 bird flu virus among chickens on a private farm, an official said Wednesday, marking country's first outbreak of the deadly virus since April.
Than Hla, an official at the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, said the virus was detected in a small farm in Bago, 80 kilometres north of Yangon, early this month.
"About 28 chickens died at a private poultry farm in the outskirts of Bago starting June 3," said Than Hla, adding that laboratory tests confirmed on June 7 that some of chickens were infected with H5N1.
About 1,000 birds from the farm have been killed as a precaution, he said. He did not specify the number of birds that tested positive for the disease.
The livestock department has also kept a close watch on the area, he said, adding that the outbreak remained under control because the farm was located away from other poultry farms and residential areas.
Myanmar had reported outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu in the outskirts of Yangon in February and April and had slaughtered more than 60,000 chickens and other birds. Before those cases, Myanmar last reported an H5N1 outbreak among poultry in March 2006. It has reported no human H5N1 cases.
The disease has killed at least 190 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
Canadian Press
Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Article tools
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar has detected the H5N1 bird flu virus among chickens on a private farm, an official said Wednesday, marking country's first outbreak of the deadly virus since April.
Than Hla, an official at the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, said the virus was detected in a small farm in Bago, 80 kilometres north of Yangon, early this month.
"About 28 chickens died at a private poultry farm in the outskirts of Bago starting June 3," said Than Hla, adding that laboratory tests confirmed on June 7 that some of chickens were infected with H5N1.
About 1,000 birds from the farm have been killed as a precaution, he said. He did not specify the number of birds that tested positive for the disease.
The livestock department has also kept a close watch on the area, he said, adding that the outbreak remained under control because the farm was located away from other poultry farms and residential areas.
Myanmar had reported outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu in the outskirts of Yangon in February and April and had slaughtered more than 60,000 chickens and other birds. Before those cases, Myanmar last reported an H5N1 outbreak among poultry in March 2006. It has reported no human H5N1 cases.
The disease has killed at least 190 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
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