November 14, 2005

Vietnam reports two more provinces with bird flu

Two more provinces in Vietnam reported bird flu outbreaks, bringing to nine the total of affected provinces, officials said Saturday.

In the northern province of Hung Yen, about 150 poultry died en masse and more than 300 have been culled, according to the National Animal Health Department on its Web site. Hung Yen province borders the capital, Hanoi.

In Ninh Binh province, poultry began dying in two villages this week, and tests Friday confirmed the birds had the H5N1 strain of the virus, said Doan Thi Cuc, a provincial animal health officer.

Authorities have ordered the cull of all birds in the two infected areas, about 10,000 poultry in total, she said.

In the past month, more than 130,000 poultry have been culled throughout the country, as Vietnam battles to stop the spread of the virus. Bird flu has killed at least 64 people in Asia since 2003.