Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan on Jan. 26 said that if they did not put efforts into stopping the avian flu in these two provinces, it would surely spread to other provinces in the Mekong Delta, especially since this is a time of migration.
So far, more than 3,300 birds in Thoi Binh and Tran Van Thoi districts of Ca Mau province and nearly 700 Cam Xuyen district and Ha Tinh City of Ha Tinh province have been incinerated.
Dam Xuan Thanh, Deputy Head of the ministry’s Animal Health Department, said that most of the infected poultry had not received vaccinations.
Tan said the department should cooperate with local authorities to find a way to stamp out the virus.
Tran Minh Ky, Deputy Chairman of the Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee, said that the province has set up check-points in the communes to prevent the transportation and slaughtering of poultry flocks in areas touched by the A/H5N1 flu.
Ky said that the province’s poultry flocks would continue to be vaccinated. However, households need to cooperate with authorities and inform them about their poultry, including new ones, so that they can get timely vaccinations.
Trinh Van Thuan, who owns the largest A/H5N1 – contaminated duck flock in Thanh Quy commune, said his birds also tested positive for the virus.
Nguyen Van Nuoi, head of the Contagious Disease Department at the province’s General Hospital, said that just after the outbreak of avian flu in the province, health officers had started identifying persons who had had direct contact with flu-infected birds, so that they could receive testing and treatment.