December 5, 2008

Bird flu has re-emerged in the southern province of Ca Mau and central Nghe An province, Vietnam.

This announcement was made by Dr Nguyen Huy Nga, Head of the Department for Preventive Medicine and Environment, during a meeting of the National Steering Board on the Control of Flu Pandemics in Humans in Hanoi on Wednesday (Dec 3, 2008).

The medical officer said that the reappearance of the bird flu is due to the adverse weather conditions and the unpredictable development of the epidemic in poultry.

The Health Ministry is working closely with the four Pasteur Institutes nationwide and Preventive Medical Centres in all provinces to monitor the progression of the disease, particularly in the affected localities and those with a history of epidemic outbreaks.

The ministry also organized eight training courses for the country's three regions and provided communication equipments and protective clothing to a number of cities and provinces to prepare them effectively for an epidemic.