October 6, 2004

Bird Flu Contained In Vietnam

Viet Nam has contained bird flu on a national scale, said acting Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Cao Duc Phat on Tuesday in review of one month of action against the pandemic.

MARD launched the campaign on August 4, which has shown clear progress so far, Phat said.

Just one family-sized farm in the southern province of Hau Giang was reportedly hit by the epidemic in September. This is compared with eight outbreaks in the previous month found in five provinces and cities in all parts of the country, including the capital city of Ha Noi.

Almost 530 chickens, 1,780 ducks and 2,500 quail have been culled.

The disease has shown no sign of recurrence and the situation is faring well for national poultry stocks to recover, Phat said.

The MARD chief however warned of a potential threat due to the ongoing complicated developments of the disease in other regional countries. He urged relevant agencies to stay alert and continue with preventive measures.