Bird flu outbreaks continue
2004-07-16 13:00
Hanoi - More outbreaks of the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu has been discovered in Vietnam, officials said on Friday, taking the number of provinces affected to nine and raising fears of another nationwide epidemic.
Ngyen Dinh Bao, head of the veterinary department in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, said hundreds of chickens and ducks had died since July 6, particularly in and around the town of Vung Tau, as a result of the H5N1 virus.
Local authorities in the central province of Quang Ngai also confirmed that bird flu had been detected in poultry subsequent to the government's highly criticised March 30 declaration that the country was free of the disease.
The announcement, which came just 15 days after the disease claimed its 16th fatality in Vietnam, prompted charges from international disease control experts that Hanoi was acting prematurely and recklessly.
The World Health Organisation has warned it could take years to eliminate the virus from the environment.
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, more than 35 000 chickens and ducks, and 13 000 quails have been infected, culled or have died as a result of the H5N1 virus since April.
Besides Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Quang Ngai, the other affected provinces are all in the south, mainly in the Mekong Delta region.
Meanwhile, veterinary officials in central Quang Nam province said H5N1 could have been responsible for the death of poultry on two farms there.
"We have sent samples to a laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City but we cannot confirm yet if the deaths were because of the H5N1 virus," said Vo Thanh Tan, director of the provincial veterinary department.
More than 44 million poultry died or were slaughtered across the country as a result of the major outbreak of bird flu earlier this year, which was detected in 57 of its 64 provinces, including Quang Nam.
Wary of the devastating financial impact the crisis had on Vietnamese poultry farmers, the agriculture ministry has sought to reassure the public and the international community that it has the disease under the control.
Besides Vietnam, Thailand and China have also reported fresh outbreaks in recent weeks.