A disinfection spot established in Hà Nội's Chương Mỹ District, where an outbreak of the A/H5N6 avian flu has been reported. — Photo laodong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The avian flu virus (A/H5N6) has spread to four cities and provinces nationwide, with eight new outbreaks reported so far, the online Vietnamplus.vn reported.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Animal Health said, as of Monday, eight outbreaks of avian influenza caused by the A/H5N6 strain had been reported. Tens of thousands of poultry have been culled in four cities and provinces, including Hà Nội, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hoá and Nghệ An.

In Quảng Ninh Province, an outbreak was reported at a farming household in Đầm Hà District’s Dực Yên Commune. As many as 3,000 poultry have been culled.

In Thanh Hoá Province, three outbreaks were reported in two districts of Nông Cống and Quảng Xương, with more than 2,000 poultry culled.

Nghệ An Province has the same number of outbreaks and 344 poultry have been destroyed.

In Hà Nội, more than 2,390 poultry in 11 farming households in Chương Mỹ District’s Phú Nghĩa Commune have been culled due to the outbreak.

According to the Department of Animal Health, the A/H5N6 avian flu has been controlled. All of the outbreaks appeared at small-scale farming households and poultry had not been vaccinated.

The virus causing avian influenza occurred in Việt Nam in 2018, mainly belonging to H5N1 branch in the Mekong Delta region and H5N6 branch in many other regions of the country.

It is forecast that the disease will continue to occur due to changing weather conditions; the high demand for transportation, slaughter, and consumption of poultry, and the low rate of vaccination for poultry in farming households in some localities.

The risk of avian influenza outbreaks appears to be very high, it said, adding that the risk of other avian strains such as A/H5N2, A/H5N8, and A/H7N9 is also high.

Nguyễn Văn Long, Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Health, said the department has requested sub-departments of animal health to send working teams to infected localities to inspect and guide the implementation of disease prevention and control.

The sub-departments are required to arrange staff to be on duty to ensure prompt and accurate testing when needed to fight diseases. — VNS