February 15, 2012

The appropriate vaccine against the new strain of bird flu virus recurring in many provinces and cities in the Southeast Asian country is what Vietnam needs to protect the country's fowl.

The new virus strain Clade 2.3.2 is very dangerous, capable to kill infected chickens within three days and ducks within 20 days, the Viet Nam newspaper reported, adding that China and Mexico, the leading producers of bird flu vaccines, still have no proper vaccines for the strain.

Vietnam will import 60 million of bird flu vaccine doses but the vaccine couldn't protect the poultry from the virus strain Clade 2.3.2, said the Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Currently the bird flu has broken out in nine provinces and cities in all three country's regions, affecting thousands of poultry.

The best option for limiting of the disease spread is to apply hygienic measures in animal raising facilities and successfully bury all infested animals, the department said. The department also called on people not to eat infested animals.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Organisation for Animal Health and the Vietnamese Animal Health Department hold a seminar "Cooperation of four sides in bird flu prevention and eradication in Vietnam" in central province of Khanh Hoa on February 14-16.