VietNamNet Bridge – Bird flu has recurred in Hau Giang and Kien
Giang provinces, and the epidemic is likely to spread across the Mekong Delta.
Local farmers are currently
harvesting the winter-spring rice crop, creating ideal conditions for ducks to
range around rice fields and hunt for food.
Experts have raised concerns
about the emergence of the deadly strain of H5N1 virus as it is difficult to
control these free-range ducks.
Bird flu was detected at a chick
breeding farm in Hon Dat Town, Kien Giang Province in mid-February, resulting
in immediate culling of 559 chicks. Despite this precaution, the deadly disease
killed a local person in the province early this year.
Meanwhile, Hau Giang province
uncovered a bird flu outbreak in a chicken farm in My Thanh village, Phung Hiep
district in early February. As many as 600 out of a total of 1,070 infected
chickens were reported dead. Veterinarians destroyed all the infected birds and
disinfected local farms.
There is growing concern about
the spread of the epidemic in the Mekong delta as most waterfowl are
unvaccinated against bird flu.
Farmer Vo Van Buoi, whose
chickens were culled due to bird flu in Hau Giang, quoted the local veterinary
service, saying the disease recurred in the province as a result of the short
supply of vaccines from mid-November 2012 to February 2013.
Truong Ngoc Trung, head of the
provincial Animal Health Department, said Hau Giang has allocated its budget to
purchase 3 million doses of the vaccine to inoculate waterfowl.
He said 3 million ducks and
200,000 chickens will have been vaccinated against the deadly H5N1 virus by the
end of March.
Luu Phuoc Hau, deputy head of the
Can Tho City Animal Health Department, said the city is running short of bird
flu vaccines for its 1.5 million ducks.
“We are planning to purchase 6-8
million doses to vaccinate the city’s waterfowl,” said Hau.
He admitted that there is high
risk of fresh bird flu outbreaks as it is difficult to control the ducks
ranging between localities.
Truong Thi Kim Dung, director of
the Zone 7 Animal Health Centre, insisted that bird flu has been kept under
control and no new outbreaks have been reported in the region.
The region is currently feeding
23.7 million ducks and 17 million chickens.
Dung revealed that the Animal
Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has
bird flu vaccines in reserve and it will distribute the vaccines to localities
if required.
Source: VOV
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