April 28, 2008

Bird flu hits northern province in Vietnam

Bird flu recently hit Vietnam's northern Son La province, raising the total number of localities currently affected by the disease to three, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, citing a report Monday in Vietnam's Young People newspaper.

Some 95 dead chickens and ducks out of a flock of 135 fowls raised by a household in the province's Son La town have tested positive for the H5N1 strain, the paper quoted the country's Department of Animal Health as reporting, said the report.

The provincial veterinary agency has isolated the outbreak and disinfected the affected farm to prevent the disease's spread, it said.

Now, bird flu is hitting Son La, and Tien Giang province and Can Tho City in the southern region, said the department, according to the report.