Myanmar will lift restrictions on bird-flu-affected areas before the end
of this month after claiming that the avian influenza has been under control
since April 6, said a statement of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary
Department Tuesday.
Arrangements are being made to ensure regular flow of commodities after the
lift, the statement said.
According to the statement, since the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in 13
townships in two divisions of Mandalay and Sagaing in central Myanmar,
altogether 9,206 fowls from 408 poultry farms and 5,606 quails from 137 quail
farms were culled and 330,000 fowls and 320,000 quails destroyed. Besides, about
100,000 eggs about 80,000 quail eggs were also destroyed.
During the outbreak of the disease, ban on transport of fowls, ducks, quails
and their eggs and movement of equipment used in poultry farms, promotion of
bio-security and public education were undertaken, it added.
The statement revealed that Myanmar received 660,000 US dollars of aid in
terms of pesticide and laboratory equipment from the Food and Agriculture
Organization, Japan International Cooperation Agency, National laboratory for
Animal Health and Livestock and Development Center of Thailand as well as one
million renminbi yuans from China for use in disease control and equipment and
medicines worth of 2.1 million dollars from the Japanese government.
Myanmar reported for the first time on March 13 the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu
in the two divisions as some 112 chickens died of the disease on March 8 in a
poultry farm in Pyigyidagun township in Mandalay.
Since the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, Myanmar has placed five townships in
Sagaing division and eight in Mandalay division under restriction and movement
control of animals, temporary closure of markets and disease investigation into
poultry farms were undertaken.
The five townships in Sagaing division include Shwebo, Khin U, Kanbalu, Ye U
and Monywa, while the eight in Mandalay division comprise Pyikyidagun,
Amarapura, Chanmyathazi, Chanayethazan, MahaAungmye, Aungmyethazan, Singaing and
Kyaukse.
After the initial outbreak in the 13 townships, investigation was made on
poultry farms in the areas with 470 samples being examined, of which 33 were
detected with the H5N1 deadly virus butwith no evidence of human and other
animal infections from the H5N1 being found.
