Laos' Ministry of Agriculture has proposed to the Vientiane authorities to ban poultry farming as well as poultry raising by private households in four districts of the capital city of Vientiane, as a measure to prevent further outbreaks of bird flu.
The four targeted districts - Chanthabouly, Sikhottabong, Sisattanak and Xaysettha - have been the most affected by bird flu since the outbreak first started in Laos in late 2004.
The most recent outbreak early this year resulted in the culling of over 300,000 poultries and over 500,000 eggs. Now Vientiane residents have to depend on poultry imports from Thailand, which total about 50,000 a day.
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