FAO helps Nam Dinh control bird flu

20:42' 31/12/2008 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has selected the northern province of Nam Dinh to carry out a pilot project on collecting bird flu information through SMS, according to Ninh Van Hieu, head of the provincial Veterinary Sub-Department. With this mobile phone service the project will help establish data on affected areas, the number of dead poultry and epidemic situation in the province. It is also expected to facilitate the zoning off, control and prevention of the epidemic spread. Under the project, a training course on using SMS in bird flu control was held for 45 heads of communal veterinary stations from Nam Truc and Nghia Hung districts, which are home to many poultry farms and slaughter-houses. Nam Dinh has about 7.9 million poultry heads, including 5.8 million chickens. Over the past four years, bird flu occurred repeatedly in the province, adversely affecting the economy, production and people’s health. So far, the province has reported two deaths caused by avian influenza A (H5N1). Between May 17-June 5, 2007, 25 communes in six districts of Nam Dinh were discovered to have bird flu and over 31,000 poultry heads died or were culled.