Vietnam prevents human infection amid bird flu outbreaks

Vietnam has required localities nationwide to intensify prevention of bird flu outbreaks among humans after it has recently detected first outbreaks among fowls in the two southern provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu, local media reported Thursday.

The Health Ministry, which will send officials and experts to localities in the next few days to inspect the sufficient supply of equipment, machines and chemicals there, has asked them to encourage residents to use cooked dishes, not uncooked eggs and poultry blood puddings, and undergo medical checks-up when having such symptoms as fever, said the newspaper Pioneer.

The ministry has also required relevant local agencies, especially healthcare units, to keep a close eye on households living in areas hit by bird flu, disinfect the areas, and encourage residents to quickly report to the nearest veterinary bureau any signs of poultry falling sick or dying.

Vietnam has detected 93 bird flu patients, including 42 fatalities, in 32 localities since the disease started to hit the country in December 2003, the ministry said on Dec. 20, noting that it has seen no new human cases of infections since mid- November 2005.

On Dec. 20, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau declared outbreaks of bird flu among fowls in their territory, saying they will destroy all fowls in flocks of chickens and ducks infected with bird flu virus strain H5N1, and conduct vaccination among unvaccinated fowls, including those unlawfully hatched and raised by local residents, said the Vietnam Agriculture newspaper.

The disease broke out in Ca Mau's Tran Van Thoi district on Dec. 6, killing 490 chickens and 2,033 ducks, and stroke Bac Lieu's Hoa Binh district on Dec. 7 killing 3,550 out of 4,450 ducks raised by five local households.

Bird flu outbreaks, starting in Vietnam in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls. The last outbreak of bird flu among poultry in the country was in December 2005, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Source: Xinhua