Myanmar's human-infected bird flu test laboratory is seeking world recognition to expedite its work in prevention against the influenza, the local 7-Day news journal reported Wednesday.
Once the country's National Influenza Center (NIC) gets recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the speedy release of information about the probable occurrence of such influenza in the future could contribute to timely prevention against its further spread, a Myanmar health adviser to the WHO avian influenza department was quoted as saying.
According to Dr. Myo Lwin, human-infected bird flu case is first examined at the NIC and then sent to Bangkok and Tokyo labs recognized by the WHO for further confirmation and formal announcement.
The Myanmar health authorities have stressed the urgent need for drawing plan and introducing fresh measures for effective prevention of human infection of bird flu in the wake of first such infection being reported in the country's border area of Kengtung last month.
Myanmar reported on Dec. 15 its first human-infected bird flu case, saying that the November child infection of bird flu in the eastern Shan state's township has been under control as the seven-year-old girl victim Ma Nan Kham Tha has been discharged from a local hospital after treatment, thanks to the effective fight against the pandemic.
The girl 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 on Dec. 12, according to earlier official reports.
Specimens of the four suspected were first sent to a lab in Yangon which confirmed on Nov. 26 the girl's infection. The human samples of the four were also sent to a lab in Bangkok as well as a lab of the World Health Organization in Tokyo and those laboratory tests further confirmed the status, the earlier report said.
The Myanmar health authorities monitored then altogether 689 close contact persons who involved in culling chickens and live near the farms and suspected that four of them were infected with the virus.
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.
Other measures taken included disinfection of the farm and restriction of transport of chicken especially the entry of poultry and birds from neighboring countries into Myanmar.
Source: Xinhua
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