Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department confirmed today that bird flu was detected at a small chicken farm in Mayangon Township, Yangon Division.

LBVD of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries confirmed the outbreak of H5N1 virus after testing dead chickens the farm had sent to its laboratory on 27 February 2007.

LBVD officials are still trying to know the root cause of the outbreak of the virus at the farm that was raising 1,300 chickens. During their inspection of the farm, the officials found that the virus might spread to chicken from native crows and sparrows that frequented the farm buildings whose partly damaged walls have hollows for the wild birds to enter. The officials found that the farm also raised ducks in the ponds where domestic fowls were intermingling with crows.

Under the risk prevention programme, chickens of the firm were culled and buried, and the whole farm was sprayed with pesticide.

LBVD designated a restricted zone including all areas that are lying within one kilometre from the farm where the virus was found. But there are no other poultry farms in the restricted zone.

In the control zone covering all areas lying in a ten-kilometre-radius circle, with the infected farm at the centre, authorities closed all domestic fowl meat depots and shops for three weeks and limiting and restricting transport of the farmed fowls.

The authorities have warned farms in Yangon Division to prevent outsiders from entering them and to keep farm buildings from wild bird intrusion. The authorities warned people against sleeping in farm buildings or depots where live domestic fowls were sold and indiscriminate dumping of dead fowls. They also said that any person seeing or hearing any suspicious bird deaths should inform LBVD or Myanmar Livestock Federation soonest; that people who are packaging or selling domestic fowls or eggs should keep themselves from cuts or open wounds and should wash their hands properly.

LBVD will assist breeders to use harm-free pesticide sprays and to keep their farms from man and animal encroachment.

H5N1 virus broke out in Sagaing and Mandalay Divisions for about one month from 8 March to 7 April 2006. Myanmar was able to totally control the virus on 4 September the same year.

Avian flu is a Zoonosis virus that can cause animal-to-man infection. Beginning December 2003, the virus has spread to 56 Asian and European countries, and up to 27 February this year, 275 persons in 12 countries were infected, and of them 167 died.