Official puts Delta on bird flu alert

Official puts Delta on bird flu alert

14:59' 04/02/2009 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – Bird flu has the potential to spread in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan. Tan made the announcement at a work session focused on protecting livestock from bird flu and other epidemics held in Ha Noi yesterday. After first discovering the avian flu outbreak on January 15 in southernmost Ca Mau Province's Tran Van Thoi District, eight farms in Khanh Binh and Khanh Binh Dong communes have found 3,300 chicken and ducks to be contaminated. More than 16,000 fowls had to be culled. The avian flu outbreak in Ca Mau could him into a serious epidemic if it spreads widely within the province and to others in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. Many farmers do not vaccinate their poultry and have thrown the corpses of dead poultry directly into canals, he said. Tan also announced that foot-and-mouth disease was found in northern mountainous Son La and Kon Tum provinces, resulting in 153 cattle culls. He said the epidemic may spread from Kon Tum to other provinces in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands). He emphasised that localities must obey regulations to prevent and fight epidemics. He asked the Ca Mau Province People's Committee to focus on a quick response to extinguish the avian flu outbreak to prevent the epidemic from spreading. He also asked them to destroy all contaminated poultry and to decontaminate the areas found to have been affected by the disease and all other livestock breeding areas at least three times a week. Tan indicated that provincial officials should prepare for a vaccination campaign to prevent bird flu by April. He also asked other localities to strictly supervise livestock breeding farms to facilitate quick discovery of, and solutions to, epidemic outbreaks. He also instructed authorities to boost control over hygienic slaughter conditions, consumption, and anti-trafficking of animals and poultry, especially in high risk areas and border provinces