Illegally imported chicken may possibly cause recent bird flu outbreaks  in the country but the livestock sector were safe as bird flu, blue-ear, and foot-mouth diseases are under close observation, said experts of a meeting in August 26 in Hanoi held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Dam Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that after discovery of three bird flu outbreaks in the northern mountainous provinces of Lang Son, Lao Cai and the central province of Ha Tinh, poultry samples were taken by accidents  for tests.

Tests showed that all samples are negative for bird flu virus A/H5N6.

No more fresh outbreak has been detected since then.

However, medical experts worried that virus strain in poultry outbreaks in Lang Son, Lao Cai and Ha Tinh is same deadly kind discovered in Sichuan, China that caused deaths.

That kind of virus strain was also found out amid the poultry in Luang Prabang of Laos in July.

Vets said that illegally imported chicken in Lang Son from the north boder gates was the cause of bird flu in the province while chicken in Ha Tinh was transmitted the virus from wild birds because farmers here let their ducks foaming in the field with the wild ducks.

Hoang Thanh Van, head of the Department of Livestock Production  said that the livestock sector were safe as bird flu, blue-ear, and foot-mouth diseases are under close observation; accordingly no fresh outbreaks occurred. Price of poultry in the country hike; breeders can earn profit.

Source: SGGP