Foot-and-mouth disease hits Vietnamese central province

Vietnam's central Thua Thien Hue province has recently been stricken by foot-and-mouth disease, according to local media on Friday.

The disease broke out in the province's Hue city and Phong Dien district, affecting 39 bulls and buffaloes, newspaper Youth reported.

Local veterinary bureaus have detoxificated affected farms, and vaccinated healthy cattle against the disease in the localities.

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 the province.

Now, the disease is hitting 30 communes in nine provinces, namely Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen in the north, and Phu Yen, Kon Tum, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Quang Binh and Dac Lac in the central region, 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