Vietnam's northern Yen Bai province has been stricken by foot-and-mouth disease in the last few days, according to local newspaper People on Thursday.

The disease broke out in the two districts of Mu Cang Chai and Tram Tau, affecting 69 buffaloes and bulls. Provincial veterinary agencies have detoxificated affected farms, established quarantine checkpoints to ensure that no cattle in affected areas are transported elsewhere, and vaccinated healthy cattle against the disease.

However, the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has yet to announce outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Yen Bai.

Now, the disease is available in 13 communes in 9 districts in southern Can Tho city and five provinces, namely Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang and Phu Tho in the northern region, and Soc Trang and Dong Thap in the southern regions, affecting 551 bulls and buffaloes as well as 159 pigs, said the department.

Under a national agriculture development plan approved by the government in 2005, Vietnam will, by 2010, have 35-40 million pigs, 6.5-6.7 million bulls and cows, 2.8-3 million buffaloes, and 380- 390 million poultry.

Source: Xinhua