April 2, 2007

H5N1 hits two duck farms in southern Vietnam

Bird flu has struck two duck farms in southern Vietnam, days after the government said the epidemic has been contained, state-controlled media reported Sunday (Apr 1).

Some 64 ducks have died in the two small private farms in the southern province of Ca Mau and test results showed that they were infected with the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper said.

Local animal health workers have culled the remaining 25 ducks in the two farms and disinfected the area, it said.

The government said Wednesday the bird flu had been contained after no outbreaks were reported in three weeks since the last outbreak was reported in southern Can Tho City March 7.

Vietnam went without reporting a bird flu outbreak for a year until the disease killed and forced the slaughter of about 40,000 birds in eight southern Mekong Delta provinces since January.