April 13, 2004

Vietnam To Test Trovac Vaccination For Bird Flu
 

The Veterinary Department of Vietnam has recently agreed its Ho Chi Minh City Service to test Trovac vaccinations for chicken flu virus H5N1 in the city from April 15 to August 15 this year, according to Doctor Huynh Huu Loi, the municipal service's head.

"The local service will cooperate with French Merial Company, represented by the Viphavet Company in Vietnam, to carry out a trial chicken flu vaccination program in several breeding bases in some districts of Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, and Binh Chanh," Loi said.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Trovac vaccination, the city service has asked the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry to participate in the program.

Previously, the Veterinary Department also allowed two foreign owned companies - the Thai CP Group and the US Cargill - to test 50,000 doses of chicken flu vaccinations type H5 on breeding chickens.

Around 38 million poultry were killed or culled in 57 out of Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities during the flu epidemic, causing damage of $83 million to the local poultry industry.