# 1789
Exactly how 4 Owston’s palm civets in a Vietnamese wildlife park contracted the H5N1 virus remains unknown. Four of these cat-like creatures recently died (see A Civets Lesson), and three tested positive for the bird flu virus.
And that worries health officials.
Accordingly, Health Ministry officials are asking that the park restrict access to the infected site.
Meanwhile outbreaks of H5N1 in ducks and poultry continue to escalate, with at least 12 Vietnamese provinces now reportedly affected.
Authorities openly fear that the situation will grow worse over the next 60 days, citing lapses in vaccination programs around the country. So far this year Vietnam has recorded four human cases of avian flu infection, with four fatalities.
Health agency urges cordoning bird flu in northern Vietnam park
A Ministry of Health agency has asked local agencies to prevent further spreading of type A H5N1 bird flu virus which killed four Owston’s palm civets at Cuc Phuong National Park in northern Vietnam.
The Health Preventive Department has issued a directive requesting provincial health departments in Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa to instruct the park to control the number of visitors, nearby residents and animals from entering the infected site.
The agency also announced that all park employees who took care of the afflicted animals are under quarantine and administered Tamiflu doses.
According to reports at a meeting held earlier this week by the National Bird Flu Prevention Committee, four of the 16 civets that died between February 8 and March 3 in the park were tested positive for the virus.
Causes of the outbreak are yet to be known.
The park, located about 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, covers three provinces including Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa.
Statistics by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reveal that bird flu has affected at least 12 provinces and cities, mostly in the north.
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