Vietnam's northern Ha Giang province has been hit by foot-and-mouth disease in the last two weeks, according to Vietnam News Agency on Wednesday.

The disease broke out in the Quan Ba district on Jan. 14, affecting 20 cattle. To date, 76 buffalos, bulls and cows have been infected with the disease, the news agency quoted the provincial Veterinary Bureau as reporting.

The bureau has established animal checkpoints, banned the slaughter and transport of cattle in affected areas, detoxificated farms, and raised public awareness about the disease.

According to the bureau's diagnosis, the 76 cattle are infected with foot-and-mouth disease, but the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has yet to announce the disease outbreaks in Ha Giang.

Now, the disease is available in 26 communes in 16 districts in southern Can Tho province and the eight provinces of Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Kon Tum, Dong Nai and Soc Trang, affecting 1,060 bulls and buffaloes, 191 goats and 1, 724 pigs, the department said on Wednesday.

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