Lao people warned against H5N1 bird flu risk

People are advised to eat only cooked food, stay in clean environments and drink boiled water to prevent against the H5N1 avian flu, which has been detected at Donhay village in the Lao capital.

The outbreak was the fourth reported H5N1 outbreak this year in Vientiane, Lao Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bounkhouang Khambounheuang told the state-run Vientiane Times on Tuesday.

So far, more than 700 poultry have been culled in total, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease. The affected cases were poultry raised by local villagers, rather than those of a commercial operation.

"The virus outbreak is now under control," Bounkhouang said. The strain was diagnosed as the H5N1 virus after veterinarians brought samples of the dead chickens in Donhay village to the Animal Health Center on Feb. 14.

Control measures have been put in place, including the "red zone" where disease was found, covering 500 meters. Poultry in this zone must not be moved. The orange zone is a precautionary zone, covering 2 kilometers and then there is also a green zone, covering 10 kilometers.

Head of the Epidemiology Division of Vientiane Health Department Chanthalay Sayavong said that even though there are not any reports of human infection, health officials continue to campaign for public awareness to avoid the virus transferring from animals to humans. Endit