The report was released at a meeting held in Hanoi on July 7 by the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu and Foot-and-Mouth disease Prevention and Control.

Currently, the northern province of Quang Ninh is the only one which has not yet passed the mandatory 21-day period - the period required for an affected area to be declared free of the virus.

The committee asked the two provinces of Quang Ninh and Dak Lak and other localities to improve capacity of health workers at a communal level and continue vaccinating poultry and herds of cattle while taking strong measures to control the illegal import of poultry across borders.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Diep Kinh Tan, has asked the veterinary departments to help local people implement effective measures to prevent the recurrence of the epidemic.