A fresh bird flu case was detected in Myanmar´s eastern Shan state and confirmed on Thursday following an unusual death of domestic chickens in Yankham village in the state´s Mongphyat township in the last week-end, according to a statement of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department Saturday.

    The unusual death of chickens started from Dec. 23 and after laboratory tests, H5N1 was detected and further confirmed on Thursday, the statement said.

    The authorities assessed that the H5N1 was spread to the area from the same state´s Kengtung township where bird flu broke out on Nov. 18, infecting a seven-year-old girl.

    Preventive measures are being taken under the bird flu control program which include setting up of restricted zones and control zones, culling of poultry in these zones, disinfecting, banning ofthe marketing of chickens in the township and enhancing of bio-security, the statement said.

    Human infection of bird flu in Myanmar was first officially reported on Dec. 15 to the public after a bird-flu-infected girl had been discharged from a local hospital in Kengtung on Dec. 12 after treatment.

    The girl, Ma Nan Kham Tha, was found infected with bird flu virus among four suspected of carrying the virus during the November outbreak in Kengtung´s Naungngin village and she was kept in quarantine and given a dosage of timiflu pills at the People´s Hospital in Kengtung since Nov. 27 until her discharge.

    A series of tests conducted by Yangon, Bangkok and Tokyo laboratories of the World Health Organization confirmed the girl´s infection.

    However, there was no report of infection on other people after monitoring the close contact persons for 10 days.

    H5N1 virus was detected on some chickens and ducks of local species which died unusually at the village farm in Kengtung on Nov. 18.

    In its prevention and control measures, the local authorities culled 14,889 chickens, ducks, geese and Muscovy ducks within a week after such unusual deaths were found on the fowls traded in the area.