Vietnam stricken by bird flu again

There have been two more outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in northern Vietnam.

The Vietnamese veterinary authority sent Follow Up Report No. 35 dated December 16 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Both outbreaks were in Thai Nguyen province in the north-east of the country. The first started on 9 December at Hoang Nong. On a farm of 900 birds in two flocks, 350 were affected and 310 died, while 590 were destroyed. The affected flocks were in the same village, where vaccination against bird flu had not been carried out.

The second outbreak started on December 12 in Yen Lang. The affected flock comprised 152 meat-type ducks on a small household farm. They had not been vaccinated. In all, 95 birds showed symptoms and 65 died. The remaining birds were destroyed. The presence of the H5N1 sub-type of the virus was confirmed.

Earlier in November, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's (MARD) animal health department reported the recurrence of bird flu in the northern Dien Bien province while foot and mouth disease (FMD) broke out in northern mountainous Tuyen Quang province.