Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The local authorities of Prome Township have banned the sale of poultry in the township after the death of some chickens due to the twisted neck disease.
 
About 3,000 chickens from U Pwa's poultry farms in Ywa Be Ward, Prome in Pegu Division, died of the twisted neck disease early last month. As a result the sale of poultry in the township has been banned.
 
"The chickens died suddenly. The Animal Husbandry Department said that it was due to severe twisted neck disease. Currently, the sale of poultry has been banned," a poultry farm owner from Prome told Mizzima.
 
The officials of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) and the Health Department have issued the directive and are supervising the situation.
 
There are about 60 private poultry farms in Prome, but in only two farms owned by U Pwa, there have been sudden deaths of chickens.
 
"Now the authorities have instructed the traders not to sell chicken and poultry but they did not say it is avian flu. The departments concerned only said it was severe twisted neck disease," a local vet said.
 
The officials from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department and Health Department visited the two affected poultry farms and inspected them. They sprayed disinfectants and cleared the dead chickens.
 
Although the local residents claimed that the epidemic had spread to nearby villages in Wethikan, Paungtale and Shwetaung near Prome, it could not be verified by independent sources.
 
Similarly, over 200 chickens from three poultry farms in Uyinsu Ward, Paunlaung, Pyinmana near the junta's new capital 'Naypyitaw' died of the twisted neck disease in the first week of December last year. They had to dismantle the poultry farms and cull the chickens.