Egg vendor in a Vientiane market

The banned districts include Chanthabouly, Xaysettha, Sikhottabong and Sysattanak, which had all been affected by bird flu outbreaks. Authorities say the ban is part of a measure to prevent further spreading of the deadly H5N1 Avian flu virus.

Laos has been yearly affected by bird flu since the first outbreak started in late 2004.  Nearly 70 poultry farmers lost their birds during the latest outbreak from February to March of this year, which affected 221 villages and claimed almost one million birds, with damage worth more than seven billion kips.

The outbreaks, since late 2004, have caused two fatalities.

Listen to our report for more details.