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FYI
Vietnam has banned transport of poultry and set up road checkpoints in parts of the southern Mekong Delta in hopes of controlling a spreading outbreak of bird flu among flocks, an official said Friday.
The deadly H5N1 virus spread to a 3rd southern province this week after re emerging in Vietnam 10 days ago, and Minister of Agriculture Cao Duc Phat issued urgent instructions to provinces to try to contain the outbreak.
"We have been instructed to cull birds in the infected areas, disinfect the farms, set up checkpoints to stop the transport of poultries from infected areas and continue to vaccinate birds," said Nguyen Hien Trung, head of the animal department of Hau Giang province.
Authorities hope to contain the avian influenza virus, which previously killed 42 people and millions of chickens in Vietnam, before it has a chance to become endemic in poultry and infect more humans.
Vietnam had declared itself free of bird flu earlier this year after an aggressive poultry vaccination programme for 126 million chickens and ducks.
But the virus reappeared in 2 provinces last week and was confirmed Thursday [28 Dec 2006] in Hau Giang, 220 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Officials have been slaughtering chickens and ducks in the affected districts as well as in nearby Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces, where the virus reappeared in Vietnam after more than a year's absence.
The 3 provinces have so far culled nearly 14 000 ducks and chickens in and around the infected areas after 4500 birds have been found dead since early December 2006, according to Hoang Van Nam, head of the Epidemic Unit under the Department for Animal Health.
Officials warned that the measures might not be enough to contain the virus and that Vietnam could see a return to high levels of disease in poultry.
"The possibility for the outbreaks to spread further is very high as the weather will keep cool, which is perfect for H5N1 virus to proliferate," Nam said. "In addition, this is the migration season of wild birds in the region. Local farmers still underestimate the danger of an epidemic, and as the traditional lunar new year is
approaching, local people will transport more birds," he said.
Although bird flu has devastated Vietnam's poultry industry, the real concern is that its return in domestic poultry could infect more humans, who can catch it through close contacts with infected birds.
At least 160 people have died of the disease worldwide since 2003.
<http://www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/detail.asp?muc=2&Sobao=2851&SoTT=4>
The Department of Animal Health yesterday [28 Dec 2006] confirmed that bird flu had spread to Hau Giang in the Makong Delta, hitting 2 communes in Long My District.
The confirmation followed reports by the provincial animal health agency on Sunday that 450 ducks had died. The subsequent tests show the samples were positive to H5N1.
Meanwhile, the epidemic continues to spread in Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces, which reported the outbreaks 9 days ago. On Monday, outbreaks were reported in 2 more districts in Bac Lieu.
In Ca Mau, authorities culled and destroyed 10 800 avians [poultry] in 4 communes in 3 districts.
According to the department, as of yesterday, bird flu had occurred at 10 communes in the 3 provinces.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development yesterday sent an urgent announcement to localities nationwide asking them to take all-out efforts to prevent and fight the epidemic.
[Byline: Hong Van]
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HDP
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