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| image ilustration from npr.org |
Vietnam has culled more than 100,000 birds from early 2019 to early 2021 to prevent the spread of bird flu.
The Vietnamese government reported that outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N6 avian influenza have spread to 14 provinces. That is why the government decided to destroy thousands of birds.
"The risk of a wider outbreak of the disease is very high," the Vietnamese government wrote in a statement.
According to Reuters, a small-scale bird flu outbreak has spread sporadically in Vietnam in recent years. Vietnam has about 460 million flocks of poultry.
Cities and provinces across Vietnam have been instructed to plan and mobilize forces to prevent bird flu from being transmitted from person to person. Additionally, the government has also required spraying chemicals in high-risk areas.
Vietnam discovered that the H5N1 virus was first spread in December 2003, and it was transmitted to humans and poultry. Several types of avian influenza, such as H7N9, H5N2, and H5N8, have entered Vietnam through transportation, business, and consumer services for smuggled poultry products.
From 2003 to 2006, more than 45 million chickens were reported destroyed. In 2004-2014, around 127 people in Vietnam were infected with the H5N1 virus, with 64 deaths.
Quoting Xinhua, since 2014, Vietnam has detected new cases of H5N1 infection in humans.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc launched a National Program for the Prevention and Control of Pho Birds for 2019-2025 by establishing disease-free areas and poultry farming chains.
