December 20, 2007

Vietnam to aggressively vaccinate poultry against bird flu

The Animal Health Department under the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has urged localities to speed up poultry vaccination against bird flu to prevent disease outbreaks in the upcoming Tet festival.

At a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Combat Tuesday in Hanoi, the Department said up to 63 cities and provinces are carrying out the vaccination, with total inoculated poultry hitting 145.74 million.

Bird flu is now affecting Mekong Delta Tra Vinh province, the department confirmed.

The pandemic broke out in northern mountainous Cao Bang province last weekend, and killed unvaccinated 50 chickens in Ly Bon commune, Bao Lam district.

Meanwhile, the foot and mouth disease among pigs has again retuned central Nghe An province after 22 days free from the pandemic and two days after the Department announced it had curbed porcine diseases.