ProMED: AVIAN INFLUENZA - MBDS REGION (06): VIET NAM

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[1]
Date: Sat 7 Feb 2009
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gOqW_oyU7KRlA57WotO56ldQYi7g>


Viet Nam bird flu outbreak widens
---------------------------------
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been reported in more localities
across Viet Nam, raising fears of a possible epidemic, official and
media reports said Friday [6 Feb 2009]. The latest outbreak occurred
on a farm in Mekong delta's Ca Mau province, where 300 unvaccinated
ducklings died of the virus, said the national animal health department.

The Hanoi-based office in its earlier reports said avian influenza
had been found in ducks in nearby Soc Trang province and Nghe An
province in the country's central. The state-run Thanh Nien newspaper
said Friday [6 Feb 2009] that southern Bac Lieu has been added to the
list of bird-flu hit provinces.

"Epidemics could spread easily because of cold weather and local
residents' habit of letting the ducks run around in rice fields,"
Thanh Nien said, adding thousands of infected poultry have died or
been culled this year [2009].

Earlier this month [February 2009], Viet Nam's capital Hanoi issued a
ban on the widespread use of motorbikes or bicycles to transport
poultry and livestock for fear it could help trigger an epidemic.

However, state media has frequently reported that meat products
continued to be transported by motorbike into the city daily despite the ban.

The communist state, which has been hit by bird flu since 2003,
reported a human case this year [2009], an 8-year-old girl from
northern Thanh Hoa province who has now recovered.

Her 13-year-old sister died in hospital earlier but was not tested
for H5N1 before the burial, health officials said.

Viet Nam has recorded 52 human deaths of bird flu, the 2nd highest
toll after Indonesia, where the virus has killed 115 people.

--
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******
[2]
Date: Fri 6 Feb 2008
Source: Saigon Daily [edited]
<http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2009/2/68284/>


Outbreak of avian flu, central and southwestern regions
-------------------------------------------------------
The Department of Animal Health in the Mekong delta province of Soc
Trang on [5 Feb 2009] confirmed bird flu in 700 free-range water-fowl
in My Xuyen District. The 2-month-old ducks had previously been 
vaccinated against the disease. Veterinarians culled all poultry and
disinfected the affected area to prevent the disease spreading.

As the duck breeder in Gia Rai had 29 ducks that died from bird flu
symptoms, the Department of Animal Health in the neighboring
province, southwest of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu destroyed 270 ducks and
veterinarians took samples for tests.

Ca Mau Province in the southern tip of Viet Nam, authorities are
worried that the spread of bird flu may be out of control. The
People's Committee issued instructions to cull diseased poultry and
any chickens with symptoms of avian influenza, not waiting for tests.
By [5 Feb 2009], nearly 3000 poultry in Thoi Binh District presented
symptoms of the disease.

It is a big challenge for veterinarians in the Mekong delta provinces
of Ca Mau, Soc Trang and Bac Lieu as bird flu occurred in flocks of
water-fowl raised in free-range conditions. Inspectors from the Ho
Chi Minh City Department of Animal Health fined 166 people for the
sale of live poultry and smuggling of water fowl into the city.
Unsafe poultry, including 600 cocks, 180 ducks, 544 dead poultry, 350
birds and over 22 000 eggs, have been destroyed.

Bird flu has not only occurred in southern Viet Nam but in the center
as well. The Department of Animal Health in the central province of
Nghe An and local administrators culled 380 ducks in Do Luong
District. The farmer's flock of water fowl died between [31 Jan 2009]
to [3 Feb 2009] and samples tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu
strain. 3000 dozes of vaccine against H5N1 and 60 liters of chemicals
have been earmarked for sterilization of the area.

--
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******
[3]
Date: Wed 4 Feb 2008
Source: Earth Times [edited]
<http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/254105,bird-flu-spreads-in-vietnam-after-culling-delay.html>


Bird flu spreads in Viet Nam after culling delay
------------------------------------------------
An outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu virus on a farm in Viet Nam's
Mekong Delta has spread to 5 neighboring hamlets because farmers and
local officials waited 2 weeks before culling infected birds, a
senior government official said Wednesday [4 Feb 2009]. Deputy
Minister of Agriculture Diep Kinh Tan said the flu had spread to
birds on 8 farms in 6 hamlets of Ca Mau, Viet Nam's southernmost
province. He said 3300 chickens and ducks had been destroyed by local
authorities.

Tan criticized local officials and farmers for failing to act
quickly, allowing the flu to spread. Birds began dying on the 1st
affected farm in mid-January [2009], but authorities did not begin
culling them until [30 Jan 2009].

On Monday [2 Feb 2009], the head of Khanh Binh commune, where the
outbreak started, blamed the farm's owner, who he said did not report
it until [29 Jan 2009]. Tan said local authorities and farmers became
lax in late 2008 because they thought they had prevented future
outbreaks. "Many farmers do not vaccinate their fowl," Tan said.
"Worse, there are cases of people throwing dead ducks in canals.
Canals distribute germs, so the risk of this dangerous disease
spreading is very high."

At a meeting of the National Steering Committee to Prevent Avian Flu
on Tuesday [3 Feb 2009], Tan said his ministry had asked all
localities to go on high alert to detect and halt the disease. But
Hoang Van Nam, deputy director of the Department of Animal Health,
said the cooperation of local officials was doubtful. "All the
guideline documents have been made available in the localities," Nam
said. "But will they implement them? That is the important thing."

Officials said the risk of contagion is high because farmers in the 
Mekong Delta are harvesting their spring-winter rice crops, and 
allowing flocks of ducks to move from farm to farm to eat the 
leftover rice kernels.

"Bird flu in Ca Mau Province could turn into a serious epidemic for
the whole region if the localities don't obey regulations to prevent
and fight the epidemic," Tan said.

So far this year [2009], more than 16 000 fowl have been destroyed
due to bird flu in 3 provinces of Viet Nam. The government has
required all domestic fowl to be vaccinated for avian influenza since
2005. But many ducks and chickens on small farms go unvaccinated, and
some animal health experts believe the goal of full inoculation in
the country is unrealistic.
-snip-