January 8, 2009

Vietnam is expected to purchase 250 million doses of bird flu vaccine in the first period of 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said during the National Steering Committee meeting against bird flu in Hanoi on January 5.

The MARD warned of a rapid bird flu spread during cold seasons, adding that the disease is detected in northern Thai Nguyen province.

The Animal Health Service of central Thanh Hoa province on Tuesday reported that around 383 unvaccinated chickens in Dien Trung commune, Ba Thuoc district, successively died since December 28.

Bird flu is suspected for the massive deaths, adding they have 7,800 chickens destroyed.

Meanwhile, farmers in Tam Tien commune of central Quang Nam province are also worried as 100 ducks out of a flock of 300 in Loc Ngoc hamlet died.

In 2008, bird flu was discovered in 80 communes in 27 cities and provinces nationwide. The number of poultry killed and culled reached more than 106,000, down 70 percent from 2007, according to the Animal Health Department.

Localities in the country were estimated to use 556 million doses of bird flu vaccine last year.

Blue-ear disease last year also broke out in pigs in 26 cities and provinces, killing more than 300,000 pigs. The disease was eventually controlled in September 2008.

The foot and mouth disease in livestock also hit 14 provinces in 2008, affecting more than 2,400 bulls and buffaloes and 67 pigs.