December 28, 2007

Bird flu strikes again in Mekong Delta

Bird flu has returned anew in Mekong Delta Tra Vinh province, three days after it announced that the pandemic was controlled, local newspapers reported.

The Animal Health Department said the dreaded diseases has already killed 780 chickens and ducks in the province from December 12 to 23, including unvaccinated 50 ducks out of the herd of 200 in Chau Thanh district's Da Loc commune; 150 unvaccinated ducks out of 450 in Tra Vinh township; 150 vaccinated ducks out of 850 in Cau Ngang district's Truong Tho commune and 430 vaccinated chickens out of 7,000 in Cang Long district's Huyen Boi commune.

Localities in Vietnam are currently completing poultry vaccination against bird flu. Total inoculated poultry reached 156.44 million, including 90.46 million chickens and 65.97 million ducks.

Meanwhile, veterinarians in Ben Tre province have discovered of what seemed to be foot and mouth disease in an unvaccinated cow in Vinh An commune, Ba Tri district. The cow has already been separated for further tests.

Realising the potential possibility of diseases' spread among poultry and animals, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong has urged localities to take precautionary measures to avert spread of the diseases before and after traditional Tet festival.

The ministry also launched "disinfection month" in almost of cities and provinces in Vietnam, starting from January 1 to January 31 of 2008.