Laos, H5N1 in poultry

[Gert van der Hoek]

Laos, outbreak BF in poultry, local confirmation

Emergency bird flu meeting held

The National Committee for the Control of Communicable Diseases yesterday held an emergency meeting on how to tackle bird flu in Vientiane.

Health workers prepare to destroy chickens in Dongsavath village.
Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh chaired the meeting, and the Ad Hoc Committee against Avian Influenza of Vientiane presented a report on the recent detection of the H5N1 virus in ducks, followed by recommendations from the members of the committee to quickly contain the spreading of virus.

The meeting was in response to the recent bird flu outbreak in Sisattanak district, Vientiane .

On February 13, the Department of Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry informed the National Avian Human Influenza Coordination Office of the detection of H5N1 among ducks on a private farm owned by Mr Khamphong in Phonpapao-thong village, and in the backyard of Ms Vankeo in Dongsavath village in Sisattanak district, Vientiane .

The report specified that seven of the 1,100 ducks on the farm had died, while more than 100 were sick, and 12 of Ms Vankeo's 600 ducks had died.

The meeting endorsed four priority targets: to contain the sp read of the virus as quickly as possible; to take all measures to avoid human infection in the affected areas; to undertake strict surveillance and response in nearby areas; and to avoid panic among the public by giving information in a way that would encourage community participation in basic hygiene and reporting poultry deaths.

The movement of poultry in and out of the detected areas was restricted, and more than 83,000 people living in the 50 villages near the area were surveyed for suspect symptoms from February 14-15.

Authorities were also checking inhabitants in 20 villages between Xaysettha and Sisattanak districts, and plan to cull all ducks on the two affected properties.

Those at the meeting were also urged to organise a meeting with Vientiane authorities to discuss a plan of operation, and to conduct education on good hygiene practices for residents of the affected areas, as well as to cooperate with international agencies and embassies to assess whether technical equipment and support funds were needed.

By VIENTIANE TIMES
(Latest Update February 16, 2007)

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_emergency.htm

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Laos, H5N1 in poultry

Location

[Theresa42]

Re: Laos, H5N1 in poultry

Thanks for the map, Dutchy!

Vientiane is just across the border (the Mekong) from Nong Khai in Thailand where they've already had confirmed outbreaks in poultry:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=60916&postcount=33&highlight=Nong+Khai

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Laos, H5N1 in poultry

CARE responds to bird flu outbreak

The Vientiane office of CARE International conducted village-level community awareness-raising activities over the weekend, in response to the recent outbreak of bird flu in Sisattanak and Xaysettha districts.

Funded by AusAID, the activities, which are being conducted in schools and temples, aim to inform communities about avian influenza, explaining how they can reduce the risk of transmission and what they should do if their poultry or a family member gets sick.


CARE staff hand out posters to primary school students as part of a campaign to raise awareness about bird flu.
Thanks to CARE's previous experience in bird flu awareness activities in Xaythany and Hadxaifong districts, it was ideally placed to respond to this recent outbreak.

The CARE team was mo bilised on Friday, the day the outbreak was announced to the public, following an emergency meeting coordinated by the National Avian and Human Influenza Coordination Office.

The meeting on February 15 was chaired by Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, at which the Ad Hoc Committee against Avian Influenza presented a report on the identification of the H5N1 virus in ducks in Vientiane .

The CARE team has since conducted activities in the affected villages of Dongsavath and Phonepapao, and other villages in the red zone such as Nonvai, Nonkhor and Xiengda.

The team involves the community through a variety of activities using documentaries and short films, songs, and question-and-answer sessions.

Third-grade students at Phonpapao Thong School demonstrated their awareness of bird flu prevention messages by repeating some of the most important things to remember: let authorities know if your poultry is sick or dead, wash your hands after handling chickens or ducks, stay away from duck blood salad, and make sure chickens and eggs are properly cooked.

?While the community has some general awareness of bird flu, it is important to remind them of the correct reporting channels and prevention practices, so that we can ensure containment of the disease,? said the Country Director of CARE, Frank Reimann.

The team also distributed posters and booklets designed by UNICEF to the audience.

By vientiane times
(Latest Update February 21, 2007)

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_bird.htm

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Laos, H5N1 in poultry

Surveys find no human cases of bird flu

Doctors monitoring public health in bird flu zones after a recent outbreak in Vientiane on February 9 said yesterday that no incidence of human avian influenza had been detected.

?Health teams have surveyed and interviewed residents in more than 7,800 households in 20 villages of Xaysettha and Sisattanak districts, the areas identified as red and yellow zones for avian influenza, respectively,? said a Vientiane Department of Health official, Dr Phonpaseuth Ounaphone.

?About 100 volunteers have interviewed local residents since inspections began on February 16. Almost all of our work has been completed and we hope to finish on Thursday,? he said.

In the past two weeks doctors have recorded 150 people who have reported symptoms of illnesses such as colds and flu in the survey areas.

Twelve people were sick at the time of the interviews, and another three people are under close watch, Dr Phonpaseuth said.

The doctor said the red and yellow zones would be closely monitored until these areas were declared disease free, in about 14 days.

People in these areas with a temperature above 38?C, a cough, breathing difficulties, or who are ill and involved with poultry, should immediately contact a doctor.

The latest outbreak of avian influenza occurred in Vientiane 's Sisattanak district last week, forcing authorities to cull 450 ducks raised in an open-air paddy field in Phonpapao Thong village and about 50 poultry raised in two backyards in Dongsavath village. These villages have been designated the red zone.

The administration office categorised areas under immediate surveillance as the yellow zone, including Phonpapao Thong, Sangveuy, and Done Koy villages.

The yellow zone also includes Phonthan Tai, Meuangnoy, Xiengda, Nonvay, Khamsavath, Nonkor and Huakhua villages, along with Talatnoy market in Huakhua village and the night market in That Luang village, Xaysettha district.

Officials have set up seven checkpoints in areas close to the infected farms to spray entering and exiting traffic with chemicals, as well as forbidding people to move poultry in and out of these areas.

The Director of the Agriculture and Forestry Department of Vientiane, Mr Latsanivong Amarathithada, said yesterday that people had become more aware of the virus after news of the latest outbreak spread.

?Each day we have at least five people telephone to ask health workers to check their poultry,? he said.


By Viengsavanh Phengphachan
(Latest Update February 22, 2007)

http://www.vientianetimes.com/Headlines.html