Bird flu returns to Ca Mau village

See also: http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/ca-mau-recurrence-hpai.html


11:57' 02/02/2009 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Bird flu re-emerged in a village in the southernmost province of Ca Mau last Thursday, but local officials said yesterday it had been brought under control.


Bird flu re-emerged in a village in the southernmost province of Ca Mau last Thursday.

More than 460 unvaccinated ducks tested positive for the H5N1 virus on Friday, one day after being found dead on a farm in Rach Bao Village in Tran Van Thoi District's Khanh Binh Commune.

The head of the district agricultural department, Su Van Minh, told Viet Nam News yesterday that local veterinary staff promptly culled the infected birds and disinfected the surrounding areas to keep the lethal virus from spreading to other farms.

Minh said the infected ducks, mostly weighing over a kilo, hadn't been vaccinated.

"We therefore ordered the village and commune to set up inspection teams to investigate the problem and innoculate the unvaccinated fowl," he said.

"This year's cold weather has also favoured the virus to mature," he added.

Minh, who is also deputy head of the district's steering committee to control avian flu, said there had not been any human cases in the area.

"Most people destroy sick birds immediately rather than eating them as before," he said.

Tran Van Thoi District last reported bird flu in September.