Vietnam begins anti-bird flu campaign
Vietnam launched a national campaign to prevent bird flu Saturday as more poultry deaths were reported in the southern Mekong Delta.
The month-long campaign aims to raise public awareness of bird flu, disinfect poultry farms, markets and slaughter houses, and vaccinate poultry flocks.
Provincial and city administrations are required to closely monitor the transport and trading of poultry and poultry products, and seize and destroy poultry and poultry products of unclear origin.
Elsewhere, health animal officials in Bac Lieu province reported Saturday they had culled over 600 ducks and geese with flu symptoms.
Bac Lieu is among the three Mekong Delta provinces along with Hau Giang and Ca Mau that recently reported bird flu recurrence.
Bird flu outbreaks have hit nine districts in these provinces, killing and prompting the culling of tens of thousands of poultry.
Animal health authorities said samples of dead poultry found in Bac Lieu and Hau Giang provinces had tested positive for an H5 strain of bird flu virus.
Four members of a family were hospitalized in Ca Mau between Monday and Thursday with symptoms of bird flu after eating sick chickens. The Ca Mau Health Department said Saturday their condition had not improved.
They had consumed four chickens and five ducks including a chicken that had fallen sick and died last Saturday.
Two other people in the neighboring province of Soc Trang, which has not reported outbreaks, were also hospitalized Friday with symptoms of bird flu.
At least 42 people have died of the H5N1 virus in Vietnam since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Before the latest outbreak the last human case was reported in November 2005.
The disease has killed 157 of the 261 people infected globally since 2003.
The World Bank has approved a US$10 million grant for Vietnam for a program to combat bird flu.
By Quang Duan - Thanh Nien - December 31, 2006.
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