Bird flu threatens Vietnam's rice basket region
HANOI - Bird flu has been found in poultry in one more southern Vietnam province, the fourth in the past 10 days, threatening to engulf the country's Mekong Delta major rice-growing region.
The Animal Health Department said in a report seen on Monday that tests showed the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 had killed ducks in the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang, just a day after bird flu was found in the neighbouring province of Tra Vinh.
"We have taken immediate measures to bring the outbreak under control in Soc Trang and all concernced agencies are on full alert to deal with new outbreaks," a spokeswoman for the Soc Trang Animal Health Department said.
Officials have confirmed outbreaks of the virus in ducks and chickens in five other Mekong delta provinces southwest of Vietnam's biggest urban area of Ho Chi Minh City.
Market inspectors have restricted the movement and selling of poultry in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Agriculture Ministry has ordered an additional anti-bird flu vaccination campaign in the Mekong Delta and requested reinforcement of animal health teams to contain the spread.
Vietnam has had no human H5N1 cases since November 2005 but the virus that first hit the Southeast Asian country in late 2003 re-emerged last month in Mekong delta poultry.
Agriculture officials have warned the country's 84 million people that the virus could spread to all 64 cities and provinces nationwide via migrating birds.
The risk of infections could also rise before the Tet Lunar New Year festival in mid-February, where the slaughter and eating of poultry is a traditional part of the new year's feast.
Bird flu killed 42 of the 93 people infected in Vietnam in 2003-2005.
It has killed 159 people globally since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation, spreading from Asia to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Reuters - January 15, 2007.
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