August 2, 2006

Laos starts poultry cull to limit bird flu outbreak

Laos has started poultry culling in three villages near the capital Vientiane to limit the spread of the bird flu virus detected last week, an official said on Tuesday (Aug 2).

There is no new outbreak but measures have been taken in a five-kilometre radius around the contaminated farms, said foreign ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy.

It was unclear how many animals would be culled. About 19,000 chickens had been destroyed by Jul 30, according to local reports.

Poultry culled were those in three villages located about one kilometre from the infected sites.

In late July an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu killed thousands of chickens at two different sites on a state-owned poultry farm, about 25 kilometres south of Vientiane.

It was Laos'  first official outbreak of the deadly virus since 2004.

Vientiane's mayor, Dr Sinlavong Khoutphaithoune, said although poultry were still dying, the situation was under control.

Laos has reported no human deaths from the bird flu virus so far.