New bird flu outbreak in Dien Bien

[They are all in their PPE, yet, all the residents seem to be just fine......]


March 12, 2009
LookAtVietnam – Bird flu has hit Thanh Yen Commune, Dien Bien District, in the mountainous northern province of Dien Bien, said Do Hoa Luong, head of the provincial veterinary department on March 11. This is the third bird flu outbreak confirmed in Dien Bien over the past month. Samples taken from the poultry of some local households all tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

The local veterinary agency has destroyed nearly 300 infected fowl and taken measures to contain the epidemic. The province has set up three checkpoints and a mobile inspection team on main roads to prevent the slaughter and transport of birds from the affected areas.

The veterinary department is conducting a vaccination campaign against the disease and spraying chemicals to sterilize the affected areas.

The two previous bird flu outbreaks discovered in Nong Luong and Thanh Hung communes have led to the culling of nearly 12,000 infected birds.