Sittwe: Over 1,000 chickens have been culled in Sittwe Township in Arakan State after a tough strain of H5N1 virus was detected at a poultry farm, officials and a witness report.

The latest infection was detected on 12 January at a poultry farm in Bumay Village Tract in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, after all the chickens died unexpectedly.

A witness said, "Many chickens from around ten poultry farms in Tae Chaung Village were culled on Monday. The culling was conducted by the health department. I'd guess over 1,000 chickens were killed by the authority."

The authority has culled chickens from many poultry farms in Bumay Village Tract that are located around one kilometer from the original affected farm.

So far, however, there have been no cases of human infection despite the presence of the bird flu virus in Sittwe, health officials say.

Meanwhile, the authority has prohibited the sale of chicken or eggs in Sittwe in order to prevent the infection spreading to humans.

"The authority is not allowing the sale of chickens, ducks, or eggs in Sittwe markets. Furthermore, the authority has prohibited the transport of chickens in order to try and prevent the spread of the disease," the source said.

State-run newspapers reported on Tuesday that the death of some chickens in a poultry farm in Sittwe were found to have the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza- HPAI (H5N1 virus).