March 22, 2007

Vietnam to produce bird flu vaccines for poultry
 

Vietnam plans to mass produce bird flu vaccines for poultry in September, local newspaper Youth reported Wednesday (March 21).

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong said the country has detected no new bird flu outbreaks among poultry for 15 days. If that trend continues for one more week, it can declare an end to outbreaks nationwide on March 27.

Vietnam has been currently importing bird flu vaccines mainly from China.

Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, which started in 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

On the other hand, the foot-and-mouth disease has spread in the central region, said Bong, hitting northern Lai Chau province and five central and central highlands provinces--Dac Lac, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh.