*** The Veterinary Department of the northern mountainous Dien Bien province has allocated nearly 2 million doses of H5N1 and H5N9 vaccines to 43 communes in the province. In addition, the department has strengthened dissemination methods and guided local people to implement preventive measures and strictly punished violations in poultry transport and slaughtering. It has also set up checkpoints in Tuan Giao district and Muong Lay town.

*** In the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, illegal transport and trading of unquarantined poultry via Cambodia has been uncovered. Around 5-7 tonnes of poultry are transported from Cambodia to Vietnam every day. These poultry are consumed at big markets such as Kien Luong, Tri Ton, Rach Gia and even Chau Doc in An Giang province. Poultry and livestock quarantine in border areas is facing a number of difficulties due to lack of veterinarians and staff. The province is in the high risk of bird flu recurrence.

*** The Veterinary Department of the Mekong Delta province has urged local people not to raise poultry in towns and invested more than VND200 million in building slaughter-houses. The province has also set up checkpoints in places where poultry products are transported and traded.

*** In an urgent telegraph on June 12, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, ordered localities and concerned agencies to intensify efforts to combat bird flu, requiring local administrations to play a key role in the endeavour.

Minister Cao Duc Phat requested localities to closely monitor their poultry and accelerate the vaccination campaign against the disease, targeting waterfowls first, together with disinfecting the environment.

The minister also ordered a ban on transport of poultry out of bird flu-affected communes, severe punishment for violators and immediate cull of waterfowls found not to be fully vaccinated.

The minister also called for continued efforts to raise public awareness of the need to take preventive measures against bird flu.

Since May, bird flu outbreaks have been found in 69 communes of 37 districts in 16 provinces and cities, mostly on unvaccinated waterfowls. More than 100,000 poultry were culled and two people were found to be infected with the H5N1 virus.

The minister warned that the disease could spread far and wide and cause a high risk of infection in humans.