HÀ TĨNH — There is an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Hà Tĩnh City, in the central Hà Tĩnh Province, the agriculture and rural development ministry’s animal health department announced on Sunday.

The department said that in Hà Tĩnh, 1,698 ducks and chickens in Đại Nài Ward were infected, and that 50 ducked died on March 21. Tests confirmed that the poultry was infected with A/H5N1 virus.

The local veterinary agency and local authorities have culled the infected poultry and implemented measures to disinfect the area where the outbreak has been reported to prevent it from spreading further.

So far, the country has recorded three H5N1 outbreaks: in Cần Thơ City and in Hậu Giang and Hà Tĩnh provinces. An H5N6 outbreak was reported in the central province of Quảng Trị, according to the animal health department.

On Sunday, Trương Ngọc Trưng, head of animal health department in Hậu Giang Province, reported that his department prevented the spread of the H5N1 virus in Vị Thủy District by culling all 900 chickens belonging to a household in Vị Bình Commune.

This is the second H5N1 outbreak to have been detected in the province. In mid-January, H5N1 cases were reported in a household in Long Mỹ Town’s Long Trị A Commune, and 800 chickens were culled.

The department has warned that the risk of bird flu outbreaks is very high in the near future. Việt Nam has so far not recorded other strains of bird flu such as A/H7N9, A/H5N2 and A/H5N8, but these viruses could enter the country through livestock being brought in illegally, especially in the northern border provinces, the department said.

All regions should actively implement preventive measures to control avian influenza, it said, urging locals to help by preventing illegal import of poultry. — VNS