An outbreak of A/H5N6 influenza, also known as bird flu, which is transmittable to humans, has been detected in the central province of Phu Yen, said a local official.

Health workers spray chemicals to prevent the spread of the bird flu virus

Nguyen Van Lam, vice head of the provincial sub-department of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, said the outbreak was discovered in a poultry farm owned by Nguyen Thanh Canh, a resident of Dong Binh village, Phu Hoa district on October 27. 

In just two days, more than 1,700 poultry in the farm were reported dead. Samples of dead chickens, sent for testing, have confirmed positive to A/H5N6 virus.

All poultry in the farm were culled to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Additionally, the sub-department will provide 300,000 doses of vaccine to the six neighbouring communes of Hoa An, Hoa Tri, and Hoa Thang in Phu Hoa district; Hoa Binh in Tay Hoa district; Hoa Thanh in Dong Hoa district; and Binh Ngoc in Tuy Hoa city, along with 5,000 litres of disinfectant. 

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phu Hoa district Nguyen Ngoc Tuong said that the district has instructed relevant agencies to keep a close watch on the neighbouring farms, establishing a control centre and starting to cull affected animals and provide sterilisations, as well as managing the distribution of poultry vaccines.

Local farmers are advised to closely monitor the growth of their poultry and promptly report any animal deaths to authorised agencies. The fowls are also required to receive full vaccinations, it said.

Phu Yen is one of the localities with the largest number of poultry in Vietnam’s central region, totalling around 3.6 million. –VNA