January 26, 2004

Laos Awaits Bird Flu Tests Results

Laos is awaiting the results of tests to determine whether the bird flu ravaging chicken farms across Asia has also struck the country, a United Nations official said Monday.

At least 700 chickens on one farm have died recently near the capital of Vientiane, but no outbreak of the avian flu has yet been confirmed.

Diderik de Vleeschauwer, a spokesman for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, said the Lao government had sent samples for testing at a laboratory in Khon Kaen, Thailand, and results were expected in the next few days.

Laos has also requested FAO's help in containing any potential outbreak of the flu, which has raced across Asia and caused the deaths of at least seven people. Thailand, which neighbors Laos, reported its first victim Monday.

Lao officials had earlier reported that other samples had been sent to Hanoi, Vietnam, for testing.

Laos this month banned imports of poultry products from Thailand and Vietnam because of concerns about the spread of bird flu. The country does not export chickens.

The U.N. spokesman said there had been poultry deaths in some provinces in Laos outside of Vientiane but no details were available. He said 700 of 3,000 chickens had died at the Vientiane area farm.