Vietnam: Nam Dinh uses SMS to control bird flu

(02-01-2009)

NAM DINH — The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has selected the northern province of NamDinh to carry out a pilot project on collecting bird flu data using instant messaging, according to Ninh Van Hieu, head of the provincial veterinary department.

With the SMS mobile phone service, the project would help accumulate data on affected areas, the number of dead poultry, and the status of the epidemic in the province, as well as facilitate quarantine and control of further spread.

As part of the project, a training course was held for 45 heads of communal veterinary stations from Nam Truc and Nghia Hung districts, which are home to many poultry farms and slaughterhouses.