Myanmar: virulent chicken-related disease in Mandalay

[Gert van der Hoek]

Note: a report from march 1

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

www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-01

YANGON, March 1 (Xinhua) -- 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.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/01/content_10922995.htm

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Myanmar: virulent chicken-related disease in Mandalay

Today another report from a Myanmar opposition website: Democratic Voice of Burma.

Thanks to Carol@SC and Fla_Medic

Quail and chicken sales banned over fear of bird flu

Mar 9, 2009 (DVB)?Authorities in southwest Mandalay have imposed a ban on the sales of quails and chickens following fears of a bird flu outbreak, local residents said.


"Authorities told people to stop selling quail eggs and roast quails," a resident said.

"At markets near our place, such as Mingala market, no chicken is allowed to be sold," he added.

Although the authorities didn't comment on why the ban was imposed, local residents say that local media reported the destruction of a quail farm at the end of February because the birds were suffering from influenza.

Another resident said there have been various outbreaks of bird flu, some of which have spread to humans, and the authorities ordered the burning of a number of chicken farms in southwest Mandalay township.

Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew

http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2309

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Myanmar: virulent chicken-related disease in Mandalay

FAO rules out avian flu in central Burma

by Mungpi

Thursday, 19 February 2009

New Delhi (Mizzima) - The recent deaths of thousands of chickens in central Burma was caused by a new disease known as Viscerotropic Velogenic (VTVN) Newcastle disease, an official of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Dr. Morzaria, at FAO's Bangkok regional office said, there was no new outbreak of Avian Flu in Burma and the recent deaths of chickens in central Burma was caused by a type of Newcastle disease.

"There are no new cases of bird flu in Burma. It is Newcastle disease, which is spreading and it is not infectious for human beings," Dr. Morzaria said.

Poultry farm owners in Pyinmana, Paunglaung in Mandalay division and Prome and Pegu towns in Pegu division said they had lost thousands of chickens in recent months, due to a strange disease, which they believed to be the deadly avian flu.

Morzaria said, FAO was cooperating with the Burmese authorities in diagnosing and researching any new occurrence of the bird flu disease.

"The Myanmar [Burmese] authorities are doing a good job and are keeping an update of the situation," he added.

Sources said authorities have banned the sale of chicken from those poultries, where the disease had killed thousands of birds and also banned journals from publishing information on the death of chickens.

"If we write anything related to the deaths of chickens, the article will be banned," a local journalist in Rangoon told Mizzima.

Due to the ban on transporting chicken from central Burma, retailers in Rangoon said they were running short of supply, causing a rise in prices of chicken.

(Additional reporting by Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon).

http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/1736-fao-rules-out-avian-flu-in-central-burma.html