New outbreak of bird flu in Vietnam now?

By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu resurfaced in poultry in southern Vietnam, two weeks after veterinary officials declared the end of an outbreak there, highlighting the country's struggle to eradicate the lethal virus.

The H5N1 avian-influenza strain was confirmed in a flock of ducks in Vinh Long, one of eight provinces in Vietnam's southern Mekong Delta region to report fresh outbreaks since December, said Bui Quang Anh, head of Vietnam's Animal Health Department. Earlier this week, it was confirmed in a northern region near the capital, Hanoi.

Disease poultry increase the risk of human infection and provide chances for the virus to mutate into a form capable of spreading as easily among humans as seasonal flu. Nigeria and Laos found human cases last month, taking the number of nations to have reported human cases worldwide to 12. This week Kuwait became the 56th country to record an outbreak since 2003.

``I'm not surprised'' at the new outbreaks, said Kennedy Shortridge, emeritus professor at the University of Hong Kong, whose surveillance of flu viruses in Southern China helped identify the first H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in the late 1990s. ``One suspects it will spread further. The main thing is that people are alert to it now. There is a quick reaction to tackle it.''

At least 167 of the 277 people known to have been infected with the H5N1 virus 2003 have died, according to the World Health Organization. Millions could die if H5N1 starts spreading easily among people, sparking a worldwide outbreak, or pandemic.

Vietnam recorded 93 human cases between 2003 and 2005, and has reported 2,369 outbreaks in poultry, about 1,200 more than any other country. About 50 outbreaks occurred this year, according to the World Organization for Animal Health's records.

Recalcitrant Farmers

Vietnamese authorities blame the fresh outbreaks on farmers who have failed to comply with regulations requiring poultry to be vaccinated against the disease.

The latest outbreak, which began Feb. 25 in Vinh Long's Tra On district, occurred in a flock of 800 45-day-old ducks, none of which had been vaccinated, the Animal Health Department said in a statement on its Web site yesterday.

The lifting of a ban on hatching ducklings this month may provide more opportunities for birds to go unvaccinated, Anh said.

``We may see more bird flu outbreaks in the next few months,'' he said. ``The question now is how to make sure farmers will have their birds vaccinated properly?''

The Animal Health Department ordered provincial authorities to prepare for a comprehensive anti-bird flu vaccination campaign in the coming weeks, according to the report.

Vietnam borders China, which reported its 23rd human H5N1 case yesterday, and Laos, which had its first case last month. In Myanmar, which neighbors Laos to the northwest, 68 domestic fowl died of H5N1 on a farm in Yangon, Rangoon province, the government said in a Feb. 28 report.

The infection may have been introduced by infected native crows and sparrows, the Xinhua News Agency said today, citing officials at Myanmar's Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department. wild birds often entered farm buildings through damaged walls and mingled with ducks raised in nearby ponds, Xinhua reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen in Hanoi at ungunguyen1oomberg.net