A Myanmar delegation attended the 6th ministerial conference on control of international bird flu and world human flu epidemic held in Egypt from 24 to 26 October.

The deadly disease broke out three times in Myanmar: in March and April 2006, in March 2007, and in November 2007.

In November 2007, the National Health Laboratory found a child infected with the avian influenza, and thus sent the sample to the World Health Laboratory in Tokyo for confirmation. The child received medical treatment in 24 hours after the confirmation and fully recovered from the epidemic.

People can be infected with the deadly disease through those who deal with infected animals.

Now, disease control campaigns have proved successful in Myanmar thanks to the supervision of central level and local authorities, and cooperation of related ministries, social organizations, entrepreneurs and the people.

Myanmar on 20 April 2008 announced itself to WHO and IO as a nation free from avian flu.

The disease can cost lives if people are infected with it. So, it is required of Myanmar to take preventive measures against the disease in order to avert human cases.

So, the entire people have to do their bit with a sense of public health in the preventive measures being taken as a national duty for control and prevention of the disease throughout the world.