# 1753
While the last report out of Vietnam stressed that it was mostly in Northern Provinces that outbreaks of bird flu were being seen, this new report indicates that the virus is making an appearance in central and southern Vietnam as well.
Vietnam, which has fought as fiercely against this virus as perhaps any nation on earth, demonstrates just how difficult it is to control this pathogen once it becomes entrenched.
The victories of 2006, where no human cases were reported, are but a dim memory now. Since May of last year, Vietnam has seen at least a dozen human cases of H5N1 infection, with 9 fatalities.
A Hat Tip to Flutrackers newsfeed for this link.
Bird flu outbreaks in central and southern provinces
06-MAR-2008 Intellasia | Thanhniennews
Mar 6, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM
Three bird flu outbreaks were reported Tuesday in central and southern Vietnam, officials said, adding that around 1,300 farm-housed fowl were culled.
The southern province of Vinh Long reported two more bird flu outbreaks after a southern veterinary centre verified that fowl there had tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
There have now been a total of three outbreaks around the province in just seven days including one last Tuesday in which over 1,000 farm chickens were destroyed.
The farm's owner was also suspected of contracting bird flu after reporting a fever, difficutly breathing and a cough. HCM City's Pasteur Institute however, conducted testing and determined the patient had not contracted the H5N1 virus.
The central province of Quang Nam also destroyed 287 ducks found to have been exposed to bird flu on a farm in Hoi An City last Saturday.
On Sunday, Quang Nam destroyed another 2,000 fowl on a farm where a suspiciously large number of birds had died. No testing has yet been performed to determine if the birds were actually exposed to the virus.
The bird flu epidemic has hit 10 provinces so far this year, half of which were northern provinces including Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Ha Nam, and Thai Nguyen. Southern provinces included Tra Vinh, Long An and Vinh Long. The two central provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Nam were also hit.
H5N1 has killed four people in Vietnam this year, bringing the total number of deaths caused by the virus to 51 in Vietnam since 2003.
Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza began in Southeast Asia in mid-2003 and have now killed at least 228 people worldwide.
