January 11, 2007

WHO and FAO investigate bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam

Officials at the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are discussing with the Vietnamese government to send experts to investigate the source of the bird flu outbreaks.

Animal health authorities in Vietnam say they have already destroyed 24,000 birds in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, and An Giang provinces in an effort to stop the deadly H5N1 flu strain from spreading.

Although Vietnam has a record of acting quickly to control outbreaks, avian influenza broke out in three southern Vietnamese provinces in December.

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, spokeswoman for FAO's Hanoi office said the country might encounter more outbreaks due to lack of information dissemination about the virus. 

Some international organisations have looked to Vietnam as a model for other developing nations coping with bird flu. In 2006, Vietnamese officials vaccinated tens of millions of chickens across the country, and culled millions more to halt outbreaks.