Bird flu has stricken Hai Phong city and Bac Giang province in Vietnam's northern region over the past few days, raising the total number of affected localities nationwide to eight, according to a local veterinary agency on Friday.

The disease has killed 320 out of 500 ducks in a farm in Hai Phong's Kien Thuy district, and infected over 970 fowls in Bac Giang's Yen Dung district since May 21, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The affected fowls have been tested positive to bird flu virus strain H5N1, said the department.

Local veterinary agencies have culled all fowls in affected flocks, disinfected affected areas, and established quarantine checkpoints around the areas.

Bird flu has hit eight Vietnamese cities and provinces, namely Quang Ninh, Son La, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong and Bac Giang in the northern region, Nghe An in the central region, and Can Tho and Dong Thap in the southern one, since early this month.

Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, starting in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

Source: Xinhua