Ninh Binh: Outbreak Spreads to 162 Locations in 13 Communes Across 7 of 8 Districts in the Province
Yesterday (November 16), Son La Province, located in northern mountainous Vietnam, announced an outbreak in two communes of Moc Chau District. In an interview with a reporter in the evening, Mr. Le Xuan, the director of the Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, reported that on November 8, nearly 50 chickens died at two poultry farms in Chieng Hac Commune and Moc Chau Agricultural Enterprise (Moc Chau District).
By November 14, another 25 chickens from a household in Hat Lot Commune (Mai Son District) had died. Following confirmation that these chickens died from the H5N1 virus, the province decided to declare the outbreak. According to Mr. Xuan, this is the first time that Son La has experienced an avian influenza outbreak since late 2003.
In Ninh Binh Province, the head of the Veterinary Sub-Department, Dinh Quoc Su, reported yesterday evening that the local outbreak has rapidly escalated in recent days. Since the announcement of the outbreak on November 11, with seven outbreak sites in seven communes across four districts, by the afternoon of November 16, the disease had spread to 162 poultry farms in 13 communes and wards of 7 out of 8 districts in the province. The number of sick and culled birds has reached 26,000, with two-thirds being ducks (as this locality raises more laying ducks than chickens).
A report from the Department of Animal Health on November 16 indicated that Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, and Quang Nam are the areas experiencing the highest rates of poultry deaths in the past two days. In Hung Yen, on November 15, an additional outbreak occurred in Dan Tien Commune (Khoai Chau), resulting in the death and culling of 200 ducks.
In Quang Nam, on November 14, three new outbreak sites were reported in Tam Hiep and Que Xuan in Nui Thanh and Que Son Districts. A total of 120 chickens and pigeons died and were culled. Notably, on November 14, Thanh Hoa province reported nine new outbreak sites in six communes across five districts, bringing the total number of affected communes in this province to 17 (across 12 districts and towns).
From October 1 to November 15, the avian influenza outbreak has affected 85 communes in 51 districts and towns across 14 provinces and cities. The total number of poultry deaths and culls has reached nearly 440,000.
DUC BINH
