Virulent chicken-related disease under control in Myanmar's second largest city

YANGON, March 1 (Chinese media) -- A virulent chicken-related disease which struck Maha Aungmye, one of the municipal townships in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay, has been under control, the Voice weekly quoted Mandalay Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD) as reporting Sunday.

The Viscerotropic Velogenic Newcastle Disease (VVND) was detected after some quails died suddenly in a quail farm in the township on Feb. 9.

Sale of chickens and quails were then banned in the Mandalay market.

According to other local report, same disease was also found in Pyay, Myanmar's Magway Division, in January. As part of its measures to deal with the case, the authorities culled nearly 5,000 infected chickens in the area and banned trading of chickens there.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar livestock authorities continued to warn people against bird flu, especially cross-border one, calling on them to exercise a long-term precaution in the aspects despite status as a bird-flu-free country.

The authorities have urged for keeping awareness about the modes of infection of the avian influenza and intensifying precautionary and educational measures to prevent any occurrence in humans and birds.

In April last year, the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) declared Myanmar as a bird-flu-free country three months after the country was proved that there was no residual bird flu virus remained over the period since January.

Over the two years between 2006 and 2007, there were numerous outbreaks of the avian influenza in Myanmar covering 25 townships of six states and divisions.

All of the occurrences were blamed for infecting from abroad especially that the virus was carried into the country by migratory birds from the cold regions in the world infecting localbirds, according to the LBVD.

Myanmar reported outbreak of the avian influenza in the country for the first time in some poultry farms in Mandalay and Sagaing divisions in early 2006, followed by those in Yangon division in early 2007, in Mon state's Thanbyuzayat and western Bago division's Letpadan in July and in eastern Bago division's Thanatpin and inYangon division's Hmawby in October the same year.