HANOI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Many areas of Phongsaly province of Laos are at risk of infection from the H5N1 bird flu virus as local people are continuing to bring in poultry and eggs illegally from neighboring countries, the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Monday.

    Provincial authorities find it hard to identify when and where there"e;s a virus outbreak as people can walk or drive across and engage in casual trade of poultry easily at border areas without checkpoints, said provincial Livestock and Fisheries Deputy Head Somnith Keoboun-ngune.

    Last month there was an outbreak of the virus in Khua district, Phongsaly province. Now the outbreak is over and the district was declared bird-flu free today, said Somnith.

    To prevent the spread of the virus to other districts, the provincial avian influenza control committee together with district and village committees culled about 2,600 poultry in 11 villages and set up checkpoints, said Somnith.

    The provincial livestock and fisheries sector will work with the sectors concerned in leading a public campaign about bird flu, said Somnith.