Hanoi - After months of no reported cases of avian influenza, ducks in Vietnam's Mekong Delta have tested positive for the virus, a local official said Thursday. Samples taken from ducks at a farm in southern Vietnam's Tra Vinh province have confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, said Le Tuyet Hong, head of the animal health department of Tra Vinh province.
"We have culled all the ducks in the farm and put a ban on transporting poultry out of the village," said Hong. "We have also disinfected the area and other farms in the entire village. We are trying to keep the outbreak from expanding to other villages as it is very easy for the virus to spread in cool weather."
The last reported outbreak of the bird flu in Vietnam was in August. The country was declared bird flu-free in September but veterinarians warned that the virus could reappear.
Animal health authorities have been told by the government to vaccinate poultry flocks before any more cases appear. Each year, Vietnam immunizes hundreds of millions of chicken and ducks.
But the shots do not guarantee immunity. Ducks, which often roam free, have to be immunized several times.
Earlier this week the Health Ministry said that bird flu checkpoints would be established across the country to prevent the spread of the virus if another outbreak occurred.
Vietnam has been one of the country's hardest hit by the avian influenza. At least 46 people have died from the virus, which can be passed to humans who come in contact with uncooked poultry or the poultry's faeces.
