February 25, 2005

Poultry trading in Vietnamese province banned until end of March

All transactions of poultry and poultry products in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre in Vietnam will be banned until March 31.

The authorities said that hatching services will be funded to destroy all poultry and poultry eggs, and must suspend operations until June 30.

Poultry farms also require permission from the local authorities to continue operations.

Bird flu has ravaged the province recently with nearly 130 outbreaks reported in six out of eight districts of Ben Tre.

Nearly 200,000 fowls either dead or were culled to stamp out the epidemic in the locality.

In mid February, Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City also banned all poultry breeding this year to limit the risk of avian influenza being transmitted to humans.