Laos Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavat

Laos Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavat says the second outbreak of bird flu is a result of shortage of fund and inefficiency in carrying out preventive measures, especially sub-standard disinfection of the farms previously affected by the first outbreak.

He says poultry farmers and workers lack the proper training and adequate funding to help them carry out proper preventive measures. The second bird flu outbreak in Laos occurred in July in the same area as the one affected by the first outbreak in late 2004 to early 2005.

Nevertheless, the Deputy Prime Minister says since then Laos has received additional assistance from WHO, FAO, Japan, the United States, the European Union and other nations to help it combat the Avian flu by, among other things, establishing a lab in Laos to identify the deadly H5N1 virus locally, in stead of sending it to another country for identification.

Listen to our Laos Today for further details.