The National Steering Committee on Bird Flu Control and MARD have asked localities to reinforce measures to prevent the spread of bird flu outbreaks and to minimize economic losses and any possible human-to-human transmission.

*** After 10 days of bird flu recurrence in some parts of southern Hau Giang province, the outbreaks are likely to spread to the whole province. Tran Thanh Lap, vice chairman of the Hau Giang provincial People’s Committee said most outbreaks came from unvaccinated poultry stocks.

*** In southern Dong Thap province, more than 400,000 of the nearly 1 million birds were vaccinated in the January 2007 vaccination campaign. The rest of the birds will be vaccinated by the end of February.

*** Central Quang Binh province began injecting 1.2 million doses of vaccine into poultry stocks, and disseminated information on disinfection and environment hygiene for farmers.

*** Central Quang Nam province continued to help local live-stock breeders disinfect the environment.

*** The inspection team of Central Quang Ngai province on January 10 seized more than 1,000 birds that were being illegally transported through Duc Pho district. The authorities are increasing measures to inspect and check bird trading in the province.

*** Southern Vinh Long province is a hot-bed of bird flu outbreaks in the Mekong River Delta. However, measures to prevent and control bird flu outbreaks have not yet been effectively implemented.