# 1752
Fearing that this year is starting out with more reported cases of bird flu in their country than this time last year, officials have announced a month-long campaign to control the virus.
The focus of this effort appears to be on disinfecting the environment. The last nationwide round of poultry/duck vaccinations just finished up in December, and it is too soon to begin a new round.
This from The Vietnam News Agency.
(05-03-2008)
Chicken flock of a family in Tien Giang Province’s Thanh Nhat Ward are collected and culled after some died suddenly.— VNA/VNS Truong Cong Tri
HA NOI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a month-long campaign to disinfect the environment throughout the country in a bid to prevent bird flu from spreading.
Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong said yesterday that the campaign, which started on Monday, was necessary in every single locality, especially at poultry farms, waterfowl hatching centres, poultry slaughtering houses and markets.
He said the campaign was part of an urgent measure against bird flu as the epidemic situation in Viet Nam was more serious than last year.
"There was no bird flu this month last year," he said, "the disease only returned last May."
Bong said since the start of this year, 25 outbreaks were reported which resulted in the death of four humans and more than 26,000 birds.
Last year about 30 outbreaks were reported which caused five human deaths and more than 200,000 birds.
"And it’s important to note that the first vaccination round of the year cannot start this month," he said.
Bong earlier warned of a gap in vaccination. The last vaccinations, the second for 2007, were done between September and December while one dose protects a chicken for five to six months and a duck for only four months.
The Animal Health Department reported that Viet Nam now had only 23 million H5N1 vaccine doses in stock whereas about 250,000 million doses were needed for a full round.
These vaccines would be imported from China.
The current list of bird flu-stricken areas includes nine provinces, namely Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Tuyen Quang, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Ha Nam and Vinh Long.
All of these provinces, except for southern Vinh Long Province are in the north. — VNS
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