The H5N1 bird flu has affected at least six northern and central provinces, with tens of thousands of chickens having contracted the disease, many birds have been incinerated. On Tuesday afternoon, concerned agencies in Duc Pho District, Quang Ngai Province incinerated more than 400 chickens inflected with the H5N1 virus. The birds, which were among 900 chickens on a farm in Pho Hoa Commune, were incinerated on February 9, the test result of samples taken confirmed that they had contracted the virus. To date, more than 5,000 chickens and ducks have died from the H5N1 flu in the district, and about 3,000 of which have been incinerated, local authorities said. In central Quang Nam Province, the bird flu has broken out in Duy Trinh and Duy Chau communes in Duy Xuyen district. Herds of ducks in Binh Chanh and Binh Nguyen communes in Thang Binh District also showed signs of contracting the H5N1 virus. Meanwhile, nearly 4 million poultry in the province have yet to be vaccinated against the flu. In the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, 100 chickens from a household in Ngo May Ward were destroyed on Tuesday after being found to have contracted the virus, the local Veterinary Sub-department reported. Earlier on February 8, 3,700 poultry were reported to have died from the H5N1 flu in two farms in Ngoc Hoi District. A day later, 342 chickens and 646 ducks died allegedly due to the same virus in Sa Thay District, the provincial Veterinary Sub-department reported, adding that it was waiting for the sample test results. In Dak Lak, another Central Highlands province, local veterinary officers have also destroyed around 400 ducks infected with the H5N1 in two communes in Buon Don District. Yesterday, the authorities of Trieu Phong District, northern Quang Tri Province, said many bird flu outbreaks have been recorded in two communes, leading to the incineration of 3,200 affected ducks. In northern Thanh Hoa province, local authorities reported that the H5N1 bird flu broke out in Tinh Gia District, killing 186 ducks on a farm in Anh Son Commune. (www.tuoitrenews.vn [1] Feb 12)
