As of February 13, the bird-flu virus of the H5N1 type has been detected in six more provinces, comprising Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Ha Nam, Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang in the north, and Kien Giang in the south, taking to nine the number of provinces hit by the contagious avian influenza.
Earlier, the recurrence of H5N1 has been reported in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri and Soc Trang.

Meanwhile, the mouth-and-foot disease in cattle has been found in Thai Binh Province after settling down for a long time, according to the Department of Veterinary.

The outbreak of bird flu infected 1,470 water fowls in a poultry farm in Hai Phong Province’s Duong Kinh District and 460 out of that died with typical symptoms.

The dead poultry tested positive for H5N1-type bird flu. The whole flock of infected ducks has been destroyed and bird flu preventive measures have been taken in line with regulations, according to local veterinary department.

Agriculture minister Cao Duc Phat has decided to set up seven inspection teams to control the current situation. At present, inspection teams are making efforts to ensure proper prevention against bird flu.  

Vaccination is the best measure to fight against bird flu in Vietnam over the past few years; however, the country faces a shortfall of vaccines. Plus, the bird flu disease is getting more complicated since the virus has mutated to a more resistant strain, said Le Minh Sat, an official of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The agriculture ministry plans to import additional 60 million doses of vaccines to fight the avian influenza virus H5N1in the coming time, said Nguyen Thanh Son, deputy head of the Department of Livestock.

SGT