April 28, 2010

Bangladesh reports bird flu outbreak, to upgrade live bird markets

After 12 reported bird flu outbreaks in Bangladesh, 19 Live Bird Markets (LBMs) will be upgraded in major cities in a couple of months to provide hygienic poultry products to consumers and minimise the risk of spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The presence of the H5N1 sub-type of the influenza A virus has been confirmed in each case starting between March 9 and April 16. The Bangladeshi veterinary authority sent Follow Up Report No. 24 dated April 25 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Bird flu outbreaks range across the country from Rajshahi and Dhaka to Chittagong, mostly in commercial layer farms. The outbreaks involved a total of 141,726 birds. Of these, 10,605 died and 131,121 were destroyed.

Of the 19 LBMs, eight will be upgraded in Dhaka and 11 in other major cities, including five divisional cities and Bogra and Cox's Bazar. The renovation works of five LBMs in Dhaka have already been completed.

The move is expected to yield positive benefits by creating awareness among poultry traders and consumers about advantages of maintaining bio-security in LBMs. It also calls for government initiative to replicate models of these upgraded LBMs in all over Bangladesh to provide people access to safe food and minimise the risk of spread of avian influenza from the LBMs, a major source of spreading bird flu.

LBMs are being renovated under a USAID funded project on improved bio-security and hygiene production. FAO, in collaboration with the Department of Livestock Services, runs the project.

Under the US$575,000 project, infrastructure of the newly opened market has been developed, while cleaning and disinfections equipment and commodities have also been provided to reduce any chance of spreading disease to consumers, other market and poultry farms.

LBM workers such as cleaners have also been provided training to wash, clean and disinfect the markets regularly, organisers said.

The renovation of LBMs is part of the initiative to prevent possible transmission of highly contagious disease such as avian influenza, outbreak of which caused a huge loss in the poultry industry since March 2007.