Laos reports bird flu outbreak
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Samples from dead ducks in Laos' northern Luang Prabang province have been tested positive to bird flu virus,
This news has alerted the local authorities who have started to cull thousands of poultry to curb the spread of the disease.
The authorities, already culling 3,000 fowls, plan to cull over7,000 others in the province's Nambak district. Ducks started to die on Aug. 27. They have been banned from being transported, trade and consumption in the district.
No human cases have been recorded, and Lao authorities are advising locals to take preventative measures.
Laos used to rely on bird flu laboratory tests from Thailand and Vietnam. The construction of a testing facility in Laos last year enables local officials to independently confirm bird flu outbreaks. A new international standard laboratory, funded by the Japanese government, is currently under construction in Laos' Vientiane capital city.
Earlier this year, a bird flu outbreak occurred in northern Luang Namtha province, and local authorities culled thousands of fowls to halt the spread of the disease, said reports.
Several bird flu outbreaks have occurred in Laos since 2004. The most serious outbreak happened in 2007 when two human fatalities were confirmed in the capital city and northern Vientiane province, said reports.