Prices of chicken and duck continued to fall by half in markets of Myanmar's commercial city of Yangon due to impact of seasonal influenza A/H1N1-2009, also known as swine flu, which has broken out since late July.
According to market survey, a viss (1.6 kg) of chicken, which was sold for 3,200 kyats (2.35 U.S. dollars) in the domestic market normally, is now sold for 1,700 kyats, declining to 50 percent from its peak.
More than 77,000 visses of chicken plus 2,500 ducks enter regularly the city's market from poultry farms in Yangon, Ayeyawaddy and Bago regions.
Meanwhile, death toll from the swine flu has reached 27 in Myanmar as of Thursday sine the outbreak of the disease as new more cases of H1N1 were confirmed over this week, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
A total of 277 people were confirmed for being infected with the virus across the country since July 21.
Patients contracting with the virus have been receiving treatment at designated specialist hospitals.
However, no infection to health staff or officials was found who are treating the H1N1 patients, the ministry's statement said.
The statement urged all people to follow the ministry's guidelines to protect against the seasonal influenza and to receive medical examination at the nearest health department if they experience any of the virus' symptoms.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's parliament also called for extensive education awareness campaign to contain the current spread of H1N1 virus, stressing the need for introducing preventive vaccination against the infection.
In last month's rainy season, Myanmar also faced another influenza attack, namely H5N1 (bird flu), leaving 5,000 chickens culled.
The bird flu occurred on July 26 in Dawei township, southern Tanintharyi region.
