Bird flu outbreak in Dien Bien

DIEN BIEN (VNS)- Cases of bird flu have been reported in Noong Luong Commune, Dien Bien District in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

Director of the provincial Department of Animal Health Cao Thi Tuyet Lan said bird flu outbreaks were discovered last Friday in two households in the commune's Village 12, with nearly 720 livestock suffering from the disease.

Three days later, local authority discovered nearly 400 other livestock infected with the H5N1 virus in Village 15.

Since the outbreak, authorities have detected and culled more than 1,000 sick livestock in the commune.

The province banned sick livestock from being transported, processed and traded out of the affected area, and closely supervised slaughter and trade in other districts and communes of the province.

The provincial People's Committee also quarantined the affected areas, and counted the number of livestock, especially ducks in Noong Luong Commune and Muong Thanh District, to ensure that a bird flu epidemic does not spread.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also gave guidance on carrying out preventive measures such as sterilisation of farms where infected poultry have been reported. -- VNS