Kachin State on H5N9 alert
Myitkyina - The Kachin State government has put in place measures to stop the spread of China’s H5N9 avian influenza.
After severe cases of the flu in China, there have been a deluge of poultry products and the Kachin police claim that they have stepped up their checkpoint security as well as educating people with signs, official statements, flyers and more.
Colonel Myoe Thura Naung said: “The borders are the priority for checks – places where things can easily be spread. But we’re not arresting yet. We’re just trying to prevent things from worsening. Over 1,000 live chickens that came down from Banmaw had to be cleared out because no one could guarantee anything about bird flu. We have taken security measures to prevent further cases of this happening and we have also been attempting to educate people.”
After reports of the spread of H5N9 in Guandong Province, China, which reportedly resulted in 36 deaths while hundreds were infected earlier this year.
According to World Health Organisation reports, 425 people suffered from the strain of flu while 73 died in China in 2016.
Following the events in China, poultry products such as eggs were sold at low prices in places like Myitkyina, bringing market instability and health risks.
According to Kachin State’s Livestock and Treatment Department, no human or livestock cases had been reported this year in Myanmar.
