The occurrence of bird flu that broke out in 13 townships of Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions in early March this year, came to stop due to effective control measures taken by local authorities, division bird flu control committees, Myanmar Police Force, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Health Department, Livestock Breeding Federation and livestock breeders.

The disease can be controlled in KhinU Township to maximum 34 days and in Kyaukse Township to minimum 20 days.

The personnel concerned found no avian-related fowl deaths and no evidence of the disease as they are checking chicken death rates at the farms, making diagnoses after a series of tests and conducting blood and other related tests.

After testing 625 blood samples and 60 trachea samples, no H5N1 has been found in Mandalay and Sagaing divisions up to now.

Selling and transporting of chicken, duck and eggs were temporarily prohibited in the disease-hit townships as soon as the flu broke out there.

Although the townships are still barred from doing inter-township trade of fowls and eggs, they are now permitted to conduct intra-township trade.

Poultry products were prohibited even in states and divisions free from avian flu. But now inter-region trade have been permitted in those states and divisions and they can transport fowls and eggs to the once affected townships. Up to yesterday, Shan State (South) transported sterilized 325,000 eggs to Mandalay and 107,000 sterilized eggs to Kyaukpadaung, and Ayeyawady Division transported 13,605 chicken, 320 ducks and 830,00 eggs to Yangon Division.

The products were transported under the permission of local authorities and bird flu control committee based on the certification of LBVD and regional laboratories.

The TV Myanmar is broadcasting and the dailies and weeklies are issuing control measures and instructions against the flu. As for the ducation campaign against the disease, flyers are being distributed and billboards erected. The LBVD will extend its field public education campaign and other related works in Shwebo and other regions in Sagaing Division with the assistance of Japanese government and in cooperation with UNICEF and the Health Department.