A senior United Nations (UN) system coordinator for avian and human influenza has hailed Vietnam's achievements in containing bird flu.

"Vietnam has done impressive job of containing the (bird flu) virus recently.. I think Vietnam can provide some valuable lessons to the rest of the world, not only in its fight against a potential epidemic, but also in its donor and government cooperation," visiting coordinator David Nabarro was quoted in a press release issued by the UN in Vietnam on Friday.

A massive poultry vaccination, follow-up surveillance and a nationwide public information campaign have contributed to the country's progress in controlling bird flu viruses.

Nabarro, who started his two-day trip to Vietnam on Friday, is scheduled to meet with a Vietnamese deputy prime minister and some other local officials to discuss anti-bird flu experience and need for further support on the issue.

Despite the current positive trend with no human cases reported in Vietnam since the mid-November of 2005 and no bird flu outbreaks since the mid-December of the year, the viruses are both resilient and unpredictable, the release said.

Vietnam, with 93 bird flu human cases, including 42 deaths, is still the hardest-hit country in the world. The virus has already spread to over 30 countries this year, the release said, noting that the threat of a new outbreak remains real.

Source: Xinhua