August 18, 2004

Vietnam Faces Tough Bird Flu Struggle
 

Vietnam is imposing stringent measures to contain a second outbreak of bird flu, which promises to unsettle the poultry and feed industries just as they are showing signs of recovery, a senior Vietnamese trade official says.

Vietnam has reported three deaths during the current outbreak and is closely monitoring at least five more people who are suspected of contracting the virus. 16 people had died due to avian influenza earlier this year.

"The return of bird flu in such a short span of time is certainly a big cause of concern and we are struggling to find ways to end it," Tran Trong Chien, Vietnam's representative of the American Soybean Association told Reuters at a regional grains and oilseeds conference.

Outbreaks in Vietnam, Thailand, China and Indonesia in the last month have re-ignited fears that the illness could sweep across Asia once more, just months after a mass culling campaign of tens of millions of poultry. Eight people had also died in Thailand during the previous outbreak.

Chien said Vietnam, which slaughtered 40 million poultry and ducks during the last outbreak, was thinking of alternative ways to stem the spread of the virus.

"The government is trying to ensure that there is no movement of poultry from the affected areas to other places," Chien said on Wednesday. "At the same time, they are considering the use of vaccines - of course they have to do that under the health guidelines."

He added that the problem was acute since there were numerous small poultry farms spread over the entire country, making it difficult to monitor each and every farm.