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Int'l red cross to train Myanmars on bird flu
20/6/2006 10:47

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Society will start training Myanmar people across the country later this month on bird flu prevention undertakings, a local weekly reported Monday.

Funded by the IFRC, the training will be aimed at raising Myanmar people's alert against any probable revival of the avian influenza at any time although the outbreak of the disease has been claimed under control, said the Voice, quoting the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS).

In cooperation with the MRCS, the training will be carried out from states and divisions to rural areas according to a decision adopted at a special meeting held recently which also involved the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department.

Myanmar experienced two-month-long bird flu outbreak in March-April this year and was claimed to have been successfully contained and restriction of movement in the 13 bird-flu-affected townships of the two divisions have been lifted with no new such case being found since April 7 as also claimed by the Food and Agriculture Organization Yangon office.

Meanwhile, the UNICEF will also lead in a 1.8-million-US-dollarjoint media project with Myanmar government and non-governmental media on prevention and education against bird flu among the public, earlier reports said.

Myanmar reported for the first time on March 13 the outbreak ofH5N1 bird flu in two divisions of Mandalay and Sagaing as some 112 chickens died of the disease on March 8 in a poultry farm in Pyigyidagun township in Mandalay.

During the period, 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.



Xinhua News