October 26, 2007

Vietnam reports third bird flu outbreak of October

Vietnam has reported a fresh bird flu outbreak, marking the third this month, as officials call for vigilance prior to the winter season when the virus typically flares, a government report said Friday (October 25, 2007).

Samples of some 560 ducks and chickens from 13 small farms in Cao Bang province bordering China tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the Department of Animal Health said in a report.

Animal health workers and local authorities have slaughtered all of the birds and isolated infected farms, it said.

Earlier bird flu outbreaks killed several hundred domestic birds in the southern province of Tra Vinh and central province of Quang Tri, the department said.

Animal health officials have warned that the virus could flare up again as cooler weather facilitates the spread of the virus.

Bird flu, which ravaged farms across Asia in late 2003, has killed at least 204 people worldwide including 46 in Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization.