New Delhi (Mizzima) - The recent deaths of thousands of chickens in central Burma was caused by a new disease known as Viscerotropic Velogenic (VTVN) Newcastle disease, an official of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Dr. Morzaria, at FAO's Bangkok regional office said, there was no new outbreak of Avian Flu in Burma and the recent deaths of chickens in central Burma was caused by a type of Newcastle disease.

"There are no new cases of bird flu in Burma. It is Newcastle disease, which is spreading and it is not infectious for human beings," Dr. Morzaria said.

Poultry farm owners in Pyinmana, Paunglaung in Mandalay division and Prome and Pegu towns in Pegu division said they had lost thousands of chickens in recent months, due to a strange disease, which they believed to be the deadly avian flu.

Morzaria said, FAO was cooperating with the Burmese authorities in diagnosing and researching any new occurrence of the bird flu disease.

"The Myanmar [Burmese] authorities are doing a good job and are keeping an update of the situation," he added.

Sources said authorities have banned the sale of chicken from those poultries, where the disease had killed thousands of birds and also banned journals from publishing information on the death of chickens.

"If we write anything related to the deaths of chickens, the article will be banned," a local journalist in Rangoon told Mizzima.

Due to the ban on transporting chicken from central Burma, retailers in Rangoon said they were running short of supply, causing a rise in prices of chicken.