# 2441
Xayaboury province
Xinhua News is reporting on a fresh outbreak of bird flu among poultry in a village in Xayaboury province, Laos. Not terribly unusual, of course. Sporadic outbreaks occur in hot zone countries on a regular basis.
But a quick look back over the past 10 months shows a history of outbreaks in the North-Western provinces of Laos, the ones bordering Myanmar, Thailand, and Southern China.
Luang Namtha Province
Last Spring, Laos battled multiple bird flu outbreaks in Luang Namtha Province, which borders Myanmar and China. I reported on these extensive outbreaks here and here.
After a quiet summer, we saw outbreaks in poultry in two more North Western provinces during the first half of September.(reports here and here)
Oudomsay Province Luang Prabang
Outbreaks were confirmed in both Oudomsay Province and Luan Prabang Province, both of which border Xayaboury province, the subject of today's report.
Bird flu, once it becomes endemic in an area, becomes very difficult to eradicate. Sometimes afflicted areas will go months between outbreaks. Where the virus goes during these quiescent periods, and how it gets reintroduced into an area are open questions.
As we can see in the examples above, despite aggressive culling and disinfection, the provinces of NW Laos appear to have an ongoing problem with the disease.
This latest outbreak has not yet been reported (or at least posted) on the OIE website, with the last Laotian H5N1 reporting being in September.
This report from Xinhua News.
Bird flu outbreak occurs in Laos
www.chinaview.cn
2008-11-04 17:11:08
HANOI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Donngeun village, Xayaboury district of Xayaboury province of Laos, Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported on Tuesday, citing Xayaboury district governor Phompan Souththivohaneas saying.
The Xayaboury Provincial Avian Influenza Control Committee has declared a red zone which covers areas within one kilometer radius of the outbreak. This area includes the seven villages, said Phompan on Monday.
All birds in these villages will be slaughtered to prevent the virus from spreading and the movement, consumption and sale of birds throughout the district has been banned until further notice. This ban also includes products made with the blood of poultry.
A yellow zone will be established to include villages that are outside the red zone, but within five kilometers of the outbreak.
Villagers in the yellow zone will be advised to destroy birds at the first sign of illness, without waiting to have them tested for the virus.
Phompan said the district public health office was cooperating with the provincial public health department to monitor people's health, particularly those living in the red zone.
Checkpoints have also been established throughout the district to prevent the movement of poultry. These checkpoints will remain in place until 45 days after the last case of the virus is identified.
