Thousands of birds killed due to avian flu in Quang Nam, Vietnam

More than 3,100 ducks were found to be infected with the bird flu virus A/H5N6 in farms in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province, local press reported Monday.

A flock of 2,000 ducks at a farm in Tam My Dong commune in Nui Thanh district had tested positive for the virus last week, and more than 900 ducks in other poultry farms in the commune were then found dead en masse, according to Vietnam News daily.

Phan Nhu Lai, deputy head of Nui Thanh district’s veterinary center, was quoted in the report as saying that to prevent the spread of the virus infection, the center killed all the infected birds, burned their carcasses and sprayed chemicals at the infected farms.

The center vaccinated 50 flocks of ducks and sprayed all farms in the commune, and the district’s veterinary emergency teams are instructed to work in shifts for 24-hour periods to monitor the virus infection in the area.

In addition, all veterinary centers in the province’s 18 districts are requested to prepare measures against the spread of the A/H5N6 virus.

Previously, on Sept. 16, central Quang Ngai province’s steering committee for cattle and poultry disease prevention, together with the veterinary sub-department, culled 1,000 A/H5N6 infected birds, according to Vietnam News Agency.

The infected birds were traced back to a poultry farm in Tin An Dong commune, Quang Ngai city. It was the fourth H5N6 bird flu virus case in the province.

The 40-day old flock had been vaccinated, but dozens of them died and tested positive for the virus.

To prevent an outbreak spread, local authorities promptly destroyed the infected birds and sterilized the poultry farm to contain the virus.

Furthermore, they informed residents not to consume infected poultry products and implemented a number of measures to prevent the outbreak of the virus and prevent poultry-to-human transmission.

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