Bird flu found in ducks in Vietnam city of Can Tho

HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) Bird flu has killed ducks in the southern Mekong delta's largest city of Can Tho as Vietnam's animal health experts increase measures to contain the H5N1 virus, a government report said today.

The Animal Health Department said that tests showed H5N1 had killed ducklings in Can Tho, four days after the virus was found in neighbouring Soc Trang province. The report said the domesticated ducks had not been vaccinated against the virus.

The Agriculture Ministry has ordered a new round of poultry vaccinations and sent more animal health experts to try to stem bird flu that has struck seven provinces and Can Tho city in the southern rice basket region in the past month as a harvest nears.

This week, the government ordered farmers to stop ducks from roaming in the Mekong delta. Animal health officials said H5N1 has killed nearly 19,000 poultry in the delta, mostly ducks.

Not all ducks are killed by the virus, with some being infected without showing symptoms. The birds still excrete the virus in their droppings as they paddle through muddy rice paddies looking for insects and leftover grain.

Vietnam has had no human H5N1 cases since November 2005 but the virus that first hit the Southeast Asian country in late 2003 returned to the Mekong delta last month.

Yesterday's Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper said 23 people who ate ducks that died from unknown causes in Bac Lieu province, have been put under surveillance.

The government is anxious to stop bird flu spreading ahead of the Tet Lunar New Year festival in mid-February when poultry is part of the traditional feast.

Officials fear the disease could spread nationwide on the wings of migrating birds and movement of poultry, including smuggling of chickens and ducks from neighbouring countries.

Bird flu killed 42 of the 93 people infected in Vietnam in 2003-2005. It has killed 161 people out of 267 infections globally since 2003, World Health Organisation figures show.

REUTERS SSC KP1010