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The Vietnam News

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Vietnam begins large-scale test for bird flu in poultry and pigs

HANOI - Vietnam began the large-scale testing of poultry and pigs for bird flu, veterinary officials said as Beijing confirmed a deadly strain of the virus was found in pigs in China last year.

Twelve teams have spread out across Vietnam to examine farm hygiene and cross-border quarantine measures, said Bui Quang Anh, head of the government's veterinary department. "They will check on the import and export of poultry and poultry products," Anh said. He also said officials have been instructed to investigate pig farms, especially those in border areas. "The department will soon take samples of respiratory fluids and blood from pigs," he added.

China's Ministry of Agriculture confirmed Monday that a deadly strain of bird flu was found in pigs last year, China's state media reported. No pigs have been found infected with bird flu this year, but local researchers found the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in pigs in 2003. The report came just days after a leading Chinese scientist told reporters in Beijing that pigs had been found to be infected with the potentially lethal virus in both 2003 and 2004.

Nineteen people died in Vietnam this year after being infected with the H5N1 strain of flu that also killed eight people in Thailand. "So far, no H5N1 virus has been detected in samples taken from pigs in (the northern provinces) Thai Binh, Ha Tay and Haiphong," Anh said. There are more than 20 million pigs being raised in Vietnam, according to state media.

Two World Health Organization experts arrived in Vietnam Sunday for a two-week visit to assess the situation and help Vietnam prepare for other potential outbreaks. Several meetings were organized with local authorities on Monday.

Agence France Presse - August 23, 2004.


WHO bird flu experts arrive in Vietnam

HANOI - Two experts from the World Health Organization (news - web sites) (WHO) arrived in Vietnam to help tackle the latest outbreak of deadly bird flu in the country.

The experts will assess the situation and help Vietnam prepare for other potential outbreaks during their two-week visit. "The team will be working closely with the Ministry of Health to assess the present risk to public health and to work out plans to strengthen surveillance capacity for the detection of human cases," the WHO said in a statement earlier this week.

Nineteen people have died in Vietnam this year after being infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has also killed eight people in Thailand. A woman and two children became Vietnam's latest victims when they died earlier this month, marking an apparent resurgence of the virus since the previous death on March 15. The new deaths followed criticism of the government for its March 30 declaration that the country was free of bird flu.

Agence France Presse - August 22, 2004.