Vietnam reports more avian flu cases

Vietnam had reported 77 avian flu H5N1 outbreaks in 21 provinces and cities across the country, with some 70,000 poultries culled as of Feb. 26, a government reported said on Thursday. Different types of bird flu have been detested in infected poultries across the country, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. So far this year, Vietnam has reported two human deaths due to infection of H5N1 virus. Results of testing in 147 live poultry trading markets in 44 provinces and cities across the country showed that 61 percent of the markets have been detected with H5N1 virus, said the ministry. According to Dam Xuan Thanh, chief of the department, 6 percent of waterfowl in the country were infected with H5N1 virus. The department attributed the spreading of the epidemic mainly to the busy transporting and trading of poultries during the Lunar New Year festival and the neglect in vaccination on poultries at the end of last year. The ministry warned the risks of epidemic spreading in small scale are still very high and urged localities to enhance preventive measures to monitor trading activities of live poultries. Beginning on Feb. 22, the ministry launched a month of action on emergency hygiene, disinfection, sterilization activities to prevent and combat the spreading of avian flu nationwide.