VietNamNet Bridge – Blue-ear disease in pigs and bird flu have increased significantly in several cities and provinces over the past three weeks, according to a report on the diseases released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Department of Animal Health last Thursday.

A vet in Trieu Trach Commune in central Quang Tri Province's Trieu

Phong District vaccinates a bird. 

Northern Bac Kan Province's Department of Animal Health said on Friday the H5N1 bird flu epidemic had broken out in 11 hamlets in Cho Don District, with about 380 birds infected and 2,370 birds having to be destroyed, while more than 280 pigs were reported dead in the province's Cho Moi District and Bac Kan Town.

Nong Van Chi, deputy chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Kan Province, said bird flu and blue-ear disease were difficult to control and likely to spread because of local people's hesitance to report the disease to authorities.

Within the last two weeks, blue-ear disease in pigs had broken out in 83 communes of Central Highlands Dak Lak Province, raising the total communes, wards and towns with the disease in 10 districts and Buon Ma Thuot City to 166 out of 184.

Releasing the statistics on Friday, the Dak Lak Province People's Committee said it had earmarked VND9 billion (US$428,000) to buy more than 6,600 vaccine doses and 11,200 litres of chemicals to cope with the epidemic.

The committee has also mobilised local vets, State officials and medical teachers and students to take charge of vaccinations for pigs.

The committee said, however, that the control of the epidemic had been slow due to loose management and supervision in many areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has supplied 25,000 litres of antiseptic chemicals from national reserves to support the provinces of Ha Tinh and Ninh Binh to prevent the spread of bird flu.

Central Ha Tinh Province's Preventive Medicine Department said H5N1 bird flu had broken out in four districts and Ha Tinh City while in northern Ninh Binh Province bird flu had spread to seven districts and towns with 32,000 birds having to be destroyed.

VietNamNet/VNS