# 4336
Irrawaddy.org (a news magazine covering Burma/Myanmar but emanating from Thailand) has a story today on the supposed infection and deaths of chickens from the H1N1 virus near Rangoon.
Since H1N1 has not been shown to be pathogenic in chickens - and in recent days there have been reports of H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in that region - my assumption for now is that the writer has somehow mixed up their virus types.
This is most probably H5N1.
Eggs Withdrawn at Markets after Flu Outbreak
By LAWI WENG
Tuesday, February 9, 2010Burmese authorities have banned the sale of eggs in markets in Rangoon Division after the discovery of the A/H1N1 virus at a chicken farm, according to Rangoon sources.
The ban extends initially to Feb 28, the sources said. The authorities ordered the ban after more than 100 chickens died of the swine flu virus.
Meanwhile, state media reported on Monday that eight students in the Rangoon suburb of North Okkalapa and four people in Chin State had contracted A/H1N1.
The infected students were admitted to the Wai Bar Gi infectious diseases hospital in Rangoon, and 73 people with whom they possibly had contact were quarantined.
Since the original global outbreak of A/H1N1 in April 2009, 69 cases have been registered in Burma. There were no fatalities.
Dr Myo Lwin, a national consultant with the World Health Organization in Burma, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday: “It is like a wave. It can happen any time because the virus is in the air and can easily infect people.”
Myo Lwin said the authorities had sufficient medicine and facilities to control the outbreak.
Dr Zaw Ye Myint, a veterinary surgeon in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy he was worried the virus could transmute and take a more serious form.
Health workers say that although precautions are adequate at Rangoon International Airport, border checkpoints lacked the necessary equipment to test arriving travelers.
RoRo on FluTrackers posted this report on an outbreak of Avian Flu on a Rangoon Chicken farm two days ago.
Avian flu detected on army farm
Monday, 08 February 2010 01:12 Myint Maung & Myo Thein
New Delhi, Rangoon (Mizzima) – The potentially fatal avian flu has been detected on an army-run poultry farm in Rangoon.
The February 6th issue of the government operated Myanmar Ahlin confirmed that the Ministry of Fishery and Livestock identified the outbreak of avian influenza at a poultry farm in No. 5 Ward, Mayangon Township.
The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department carried out the field inspection at the poultry farm, which has about 2,500 chickens, on February 2nd and 3rd. Laboratory tests, conducted twice, subsequently confirmed a case of severe avian flu, the newspaper reported.
