Boxun: Myanmar Bird Flu Outbreak

[hawkeye]

Myanmar Bird Flu Outbreak

Myanmar officials say close to the Chinese border in the eastern region, the authorities in poultry new discovery of the bird flu virus outbreak. Myanmar official newspaper Saturday reported that the Shin Kong, the officer on November 18 in the eastern part of a farm the discovery of the bird flu outbreak. Before that, a local farmer said a large number of sick chickens died. Authorities culled this farm chickens, reports did not say how many chickens have been culled. Myanmar Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary urged people to stop poultry and birds from entering the Council of Myanmar. (free zone released released) (boxun.com) (boxun.com)

[hawkeye]

Re: Boxun: Myanmar Bird Flu Outbreak

Burma Detects New Outbreak of Bird Flu
Publicado - Published: 24/11/2007

BURMA (VOA News).- Officials in Burma say a new outbreak of bird flu has been detected among chickens in an eastern district near the Chinese border.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Saturday that the outbreak was found at a farm in Kentung township in eastern Shan state on November 18, after a farmer reported an unusual number of deaths in his chickens.

Officials culled an unknown number of birds at the farm.

A statement from the Myanmar Livestock and Veterinary Department urged people to prevent the entry of poultry and birds from neighboring countries into Burma.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Boxun: Myanmar Bird Flu Outbreak

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Authorities conceal bird flu detection in Shan State

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
November 29, 2007 - An alarming situation is developing with the deadly avian flu once again surfacing in Burma's eastern Shan State. Reports are tricking in that the virus is fast spreading in the region while authorities remain silent and inactive, sources said.
Sai Muing, a Thailand based journalist, who covers Shan State, said the flu had been first noticed in October in Nawng Ming village. But with authorities concealing the information, the flu has spread to many more areas in Shan State.
"There are rumors that the flu was first noticed when a local villager lost about 20 of his ducks bought from China . He bought about 600 ducks from China ," Sai Muing said.
Following the detection of the flu, local authorities including the Myanmar Red Cross and fire brigade were sent into slaughter chickens from local farm houses, local residents said.
"So far, the worst hit is Keng Tong township, and local authorities have culled over 1,800 chickens and fowls," a local resident told Mizzima.
After the news of the outbreak, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been conducting awareness trainings in the 10 severely hit townships including the Keng Tong, Tachileik, Maipheik, Maimyaung, Mai Yan, Maiying, Maisat and Maikhat.
"They [UNDP] has been providing training in Lashio town since October 15, and will come to Keng Tong area to impart the same training," added the local resident.
The UNDP office in Rangoon could not be immediately reached for comment.
Following the outbreak of bird flu, authorities banned the sale of chicken and chicken products including eggs. Authorities also banned the sales of chicken on the Thai- Burma border town of Tachileik , local residents said.
Meanwhile, Sai Muing said local authorities, particularly members of the Myanmar Red Cross and Fire Brigade, who are tasked to spearhead the culling of chickens and fowls, are taking bribes from local poultry farmers.
"They [Red Cross and fire fighters] are taking bribes from the poultry farm owners and businessmen and are killing chickens of those who could not afford to pay bribe," Sai Muing said.
While the information could not be independently confirmed, such practice could have serious impact as several birds that carry the flu, could escape culling.
Sai Muing said, local authorities are demanding 10,000 Kyat in order to avoid killing one chicken.

http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Nov/78-nov-2007.html

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[sharon sanders]

Re: Boxun: Myanmar Bird Flu Outbreak

Small farmers hurt by bird flu measures

Nov 30, 2007 (DVB)�Village farmers from Kengtung township have complained that government measures to combat bird flu in the community have unfairly targeted smaller chicken farms.


Following �unusual deaths� of local species of chickens and ducks in Naungngin village in Kengtung township, Shan State, investigations were carried out and the H5N1 virus was found to be present, according to state media.

The Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries issued a public warning in the state-run New Light of Myanmar giving details of the outbreak and advising the public how to help prevent its spread. The LBVD claimed that 14,889 chickens, ducks and geese had been culled, and said that this had been supplemented with bio-security measures and educational talks in the affected area and surrounding villages. However, farmers from the villages have criticised the measures taken by the government to prevent the disease from spreading, claiming that only chickens on small farms in the village areas were killed, while the nine big chicken firms in the town were not affected by the cull. The owner of a small chicken farm in a nearby village said that the LBVD had taken all his chickens despite his village being so far unaffected. �They came and took all my chickens, but I didn�t get any compensation or anything for it. I heard that chickens in other villages have died form the bird flu disease but our village hasn�t been affected yet,� he said. One chicken farm owner from the town said that there were some limited measures affecting the nine big companies. �They only call upon the 9 big companies to go to disease controlling workshops, but didn�t do much else except spraying insecticide on their big farms,� he said. �They told those chicken farm owners to stop selling chickens, eggs and ducks and told them to keep their birds healthy.� Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=723