Bird flu outbreak in north under control, says official

05/01/2008 -- 8:51 PM

Ha Noi (VNA) – Veterinarians had controlled the bird flu outbreak in northern Thai Nguyen province, Viet Nam Animal Health Department director Bui Quang Anh said on Jan. 4. A flock of 350 two-month-old muscovy ducks at a farm in Song Cong town’s Luong Chau ward, less than 100km from Ha Noi, died early this week and tests later confirmed they were infected with the deadly H5N1 virus. Provincial veterinarians immediately slaughtered the entire unvaccinated flock and disinfected the farm and its surrounds. A veterinarian told Viet Nam News that the vaccination of muscovy ducks had not been subsidized since mid 2007 and farmers had to pay for the injections themselves. Vaccines for the species of duck were too expensive, not highly effective, and affected the birds’ development, he said. Muscovy ducks were not as popular as other ducks and chickens in Viet Nam . Normally only 95 percent of birds in any given flock were vaccinated. Five percent were left to show any evidence of the virus. Although vaccination prevented the virus from infecting birds, the virus still existed in the environment. Scientists have warned that the possibility of new outbreaks is high with Tet, the Lunar New Year, only one month away and poultry-smuggling on the rise. The Health Ministry has 69 mobile teams in Viet Nam ’s 64 provinces and cities to prevent new outbreaks. A boy, 4, from northern Son La province died from bird flu in Ha Noi last month and the virus has killed birds in six communes of southern Tra Vinh province. Bird flu was first identified in Viet Nam in late 2003 and has been reported from 23 cities and provinces since last May.-Enditem
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