Bird flu hits 35 Vietnamese localities, killing or leading to the forced culling of 5.7 million poultry last year, local newspaper People's Army on Wednesday quoted a report of an animal health agency.

The disease stroke 669 communes nationwide in three periods, mainly in cold months in early and late 2005, said the Department of Animal Health under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the third outbreak starting on Oct. 1, 2005, a total of 21 cities and provinces were hit by the disease, which killed and led to the forced killing of roughly 4 million fowls, the department said.

Vietnam has spotted no new bird flu outbreak over the past three weeks, the department said on Tuesday, noting that Ha Giang and Cao Bang in the northern region on Sunday became the last two provinces of Vietnam meeting criteria for declaring their territory free of the disease (detecting no new outbreak for at least three weeks).

Vietnam has launched an action month ending on Feb. 6, under which local relevant agencies and residents are to mainly disinfect, detoxificate and cleanse poultry farms, slaughterhouses and markets.

The Vietnamese government has instructed the agriculture ministry and the Health Ministry to make greater efforts to prevent bird flu reoccurrence in 2006.

Source: Xinhua